Perspective
by Uchiki na Kage
Summary: A oneshot collection: Kakashi and the others discover somethings that seem to put everything about Naruto in a different perspective.
1. Team 7: Hatake Kakashi

Kakashi followed his charge, talking note of the way he suspiciously glanced around as if searching for someone who was following him. Kakashi knew it wasn't him – he wouldn't be able to sense him he had made sure of that – so he guessed his blonde student was being paranoid and jumpy.

Still he followed.

And Kakashi wondered and Kakashi pondered.

Naruto had had the worst grades at the academy, but Kakashi knew that he was a smart child. He threw himself into his training and still seemed to mess up in the most basic of basics. And then he had those days, days like these, where he acted so suspicious and wary and paranoid.

So Kakashi followed and pondered and contemplated.

He had to, his curiosity be damned.

But he was astounded when he followed the blonde child to none other than the academy teacher Iruka's house, and he was even more flabbergasted when the blonde _hesitantly_ knocked on the door.

Now the Naruto Kakashi knew was anything but hesitant, he took what he needed and knew what he needed. In fact now that he thought about it- Naruto barely asked for anything but training and affection or praise- and he was never hesitant in that.

But Kakashi knew that the blonde child obviously needed so much more than that, and he wondered just how he spent his stipend from the jobs they did. But that was besides the point- and he was startled to the point of this whole mess when Iruka opened the door with an inquiry of politeness. That turned to confusion. Then Iruka glanced down at the far shorter child with a soft smile and a gesture to come in.

Kakashi – even more confused – followed their chakra signatures to the living room, conveniently in view of a large and open bay window. He knew Naruto hated being teased about his height, but he raised no fuss about the seeming slight to his height by the teacher and only followed him abashedly.

"Naruto," Iruka's voice was soft with understanding, "I want you to look at me."

The child did so, and Kakashi was struck by how blue those eyes were- even though he saw them almost every day.

Iruka smiled and ruffled the kid's hair, and he scowled lightly but Kakashi nodded in understanding from his hidden perch. He had uncovered the true meaning of that particular scowl long ago; _I should hate this and be annoyed so I will be even though I am an orphan and crave this attention as much as it scares me so please don't ever stop_.

Iruka came back into the room, carrying two books and a brush for writing. One book was obviously filled with lined sheets, some with more obvious use and others with the pristine whiteness and crispness of unadulterated newness. The other was harder to decipher, but Kakashi recognized it a soon as it was settled into Naruto's lap and Iruka sat beside him.

The book was opened carefully and Naruto glanced up at his previous teacher in inquiry before he flipped the page hesitantly.

Kakashi almost felt the intruder, looking at the picture of Iruka on the couch, Naruto cuddled to his side like his own son and feet barely touching the ground- if they did at all.

Then they started.

"He went on a trip around the world." Words were stumbled over in hesitancy, and Kakashi felt leaden shock course through his veins at the facts presented. "He hated," that word was spoken with dead familiarity and made Kakashi wince, "the fact that he was mis- misun- mi." Naruto looked pleadingly up to his teacher and Iruka smiled softly – _painfully. _

"Misunderstood."

Naruto nodded and continued. "He hated the fact that he was misunderstood and shunned because he was different."

Kakashi recognized the tale; the Ugly Duckling.

"That word is astray. It means to be lost, or to lose your path." The confused stumbling over words continued.

And Iruka continued to be patient and gentle and a _teacher_. But Kakashi could see; there was a slightly pained look to his eyes as he helped Naruto- pained that a child so precious to him could be so overlooked to not have been taught the very basics to life by someone- just because they were under the misconception that said child was a monster.

Kakashi settled heavily against the tree, listening to Naruto's ashamed but determined voice as it struggled to sound out words and sentences the other academy students would have no trouble with because they had had parents to teach them.

And Kakashi almost cried.

He had seen Naruto starting to enter the library to read scrolls on history and had assumed that he was only starting to take his ninja path seriously- that he was starting to train in all aspects of the ninja skill set.

But now…_oh kami…._

No wonder Naruto struggled so much in school, and no wonder Naruto couldn't perform the basics with the ease of everyone else- he couldn't…he didn't have the basics needed even for the basics.

And that put everything into perspective.

And then it made him wonder.

He had learned the Kage Bunshin on his own- in an hour no less. How much of that time had been spent simply reading the scroll, and how much of the skill had he needed to improvise on because he couldn't read a particular word and had to go by context?

That was a brilliant child.

But Kakashi was drawn back to the present and the situation when the young blonde stumbled over a word particularly difficult for him- and his voice rang with shame and self-loathing before Iruka shushed him and calmly told him the word, enunciating carefully and gently to help the child at his side. Then Naruto drew in his breath and continued on despite his frustration- like he always did.

And Kakshi felt ashamed.

_He _was Naruto's teacher now. _He_ was the one that Naruto should be receiving help from. And _he_ was the one that should have noticed.

And that was the kicker wasn't it.

The only thing he had done to get to know his students was a background check, and while this was fine and dandy for those with people around them all the time to give reports and ideas- he hadn't sought anyone out to figure out his blonde student.

There hadn't_ been _anyone for his blonde student.

A teacher from the academy wouldn't have had the time to check on one child- and he would have had the unfeeling bias of all the villagers. But Iruka obviously had found the time and worked around the bias everyone had.

Kakashi had only made the cursory visit with the hokage to check his house- notice the old milk and unhealthy ramen and surprisingly the healthy house plants and clean, if bare, rooms. He hadn't thought about why it was unhealthy food and old milk- or why Naruto had to be so loud or why Naruto didn't have anything frivolous like many other children would have bought with their stipend.

And now he guessed he knew- if only a little. But that was one why, and now he could guess at the rest. Isn't that the way it went?

When you realized one thing about someone- it usually helped you realize many other things about them. And Kakashi was realizing- oh_ boy_ was he ever realizing.

Naruto hadn't had anyone to teach him how to read - could he write just as well?- then he would have had no one to teach him how to cook a healthy meal, and would search out the cheapest form of nourishment he could find despite the fact that it ceased to be nourishment.

_A friendly smiling patron who wouldn't turn away the demon fox brat from his store._

Naruto wouldn't be able to spend his money on the frivolous dainties and toys that so many children his age preferred; he wouldn't buy clothes that were in style- that would be a waste of money. He would be happy that he had clothes to keep him warm and dry and that he had a roof – however cheap and run down - over his head. It would be a waste of his hard earned money to spend it such- and he had never been taught otherwise; taught that he deserved such trivial dainties and privileges.

And so he carried on alone.

And Naruto would keep on going on alone- and Kakashi had to wonder where he got that from- this perseverance.

He was taken from his musings once again by the two studious nin in the home. A frustrated cry of despair escaped from lips between whiskered cheeks- lips that were chapped from staying up late and practicing what he _could_ do right. Those lips were dry and thirsty and needy. And were watered and cared for by the ever mothering teacher.

And then Naruto smiled gratefully at Iruka as he placed the book aside (with that damnably sad smile) and he pulled to them the other book- the one with blank paper and used paper and marks and lines and newness.

He handed Naruto the brush, and opened the book to a brand new fresh page, just after the last used one; and he started to teach.

Kakashi watched with a sad visible eye as Naruto concentrated and used all his control to move the inked end along the paper, taking his time and effort and slowly forming the lines that could communicate.

Kakashi seemed to gain a sense of pride - for all Naruto seemed to be vexed and frustrated at himself with reading - he could write very well. And the look he wore on his face made Kakashi understand.

He had a different Perspective.

Naruto was doing so well, not due to his teachings, but because one overlooked academy teacher was paying attention to a child also very overlooked. Naruto was growing because someone noticed him, someone took the time to help him discover where he was having trouble and help him overcome it.

And Kakashi was humbled.

Soft spoken words of encouragement and question were exchanged and the much happier Naruto went back to struggling through the reading of one sorry story about an orphan animal that wasn't accepted until it left and turned into something beautiful in the others eyes- though it would have already been beautiful in someone else's.

And Kakashi left them there- feeling too much the intruder on a private moment and confusedly sad and proud all at once.

He smiled into the wind and the son of the White Fang went to his home and made a list- a list of things he noticed about the blonde now that he looked around him. And when he was finished this list he sat and pondered the real reason behind these things and actions that set him apart from the villagers- and set him apart from the monster.

…

It was the next day when Kakashi met with his team, noticing Sakura yelling at the blonde – once again – about not having his paperwork in order and taking to much of her time for her to show him how to fill it out.

And Kakashi smiled sadly and took Naruto aside and took the time to point out where what was and what was where.

And it was with a proud smile that he told them they had the day off- and Naruto headed straight for the library.

And it was with an even bigger smile that he encountered one Umino Iruka- and thanked the man for looking after the child.

He had a new perspective after all- and damned if he wasn't proud; of himself and his blonde student.

But he was humbled once again. When Iruka replied to his thanks with a quick mind that figured out the reason, and something so simple that Kakashi paused to watch him walk away.

"_No need for thanks Kakashi, he's one of mine."_

And so Kakashi gained an entirely new perspective- that maybe teaching had its own rewards, if the proud look Iruka wore when he spotted Naruto furiously reading in the library window was anything to go by.

And so Kakashi walked and pondered and greeted and read his own book.

…_All with a new perspective._

OWARI.

* * *

FACTS:  
1)The first volume of the actual manga has Naruto complaining about how he hates kanji- he struggles with the complicated writing.  
2)In the anime, when he goes with Jiraiya he has trouble reading a road sign; Jiraiya only exasperatedly rereads the sign (obviously thinking Naruto is stupid) before they go on their way as if nothing has changed.

I hope you like this, I wanted to go for more along the lines of a **short** one shot and do a series of them about people realizing how hard Naruto works and how hard his life was…but I got carried away. Oops?


	2. Team 7: Uchiha Sasuke

Sasuke watched him incredulously- he never knew the dobe to do anything that didn't mean mischief or training. And if anything, right now, Naruto looked dead serious and somber.

It was like he was watching an entirely different child, and Sasuke didn't like it.

So he gathered himself off his seated position on his roof, and followed the boy slowly and carefully- he could never figure out how Naruto was so good at sensing him, but he was. And he had to take that into account now.

So he followed the blonde with all his skill, keeping in mind several facts; one, that he had never seen the blonde down this route before- but he chalked that one up to hi never really looking at the streets before, and two, that he had never really seen the blonde so at ease with himself, but that he shouldn't let that make him let his guard down.

You just never knew with Naruto.

Sasuke sneered at the thought of such unpredictability before he shook his head to clear it. It wouldn't do to think of the dobe any more than he was already (and even this was a stretch for him) because he was prone to give you headaches with all his contradictory behavior.

And Naruto was just like that.

Loud, sometimes completely obnoxious and rude, occasionally inconsiderate, playful and mischievous- hardly something you would think a ninja would be, but Naruto was. And then he was ever so often empathetic and determined to aid and abet, and confident and strong…

So much that Sasuke had come to describe the blond idiot, dobe and enigma of their class and graduating year…just Naruto.

There was no other way to say it.

But as he followed the blonde through the winding mix mash of streets that had become Konohagakure after wars and battles and construction and …life, he had to notice the somber tilt of his head and the sweeping but steady lope of his feet as they reluctantly took him somewhere.

This was nothing he could describe as Naruto; at least, not as the Naruto he knew. He startled himself out of these thoughts and he caught himself before he let the blonde detect him, and they were at the memorial, the initial training ground of team seven, where they were birthed as true genins and true shinobi.

The blonde had slowed and stopped at the memorial, and he kneeled slightly and ran a hand down the inscribed names before he settled into the traditional position of respect, on bended knee, and clasped a fist over his heart.

A blonde crop of hair shifted and bowed down in respect and reverence to the memorial, before a scarred and tan hand settled down one lone wild flower, chosen carefully Sasuke knew. He had watched Naruto choose that very flower this morning- and head even dared to scoff at the blonde for his seemingly womanly hobby.

Sasuke felt ashamed now- now that he had this whole new perspective.

He had watched as the sunny haired boy meticulously went through the wildflower field- as if it had rows that were well defined and purposeful- before he had shouted out in victory some ways into the middle of the rather large expanse of color.

He had reached in carefully; and had even taken out his kunai knife to cut the stem esthetically at an acute angle.

Sasuke watched that very same reverently cut stem be set upon the memorial tablet, and he couldn't help but regret the harsh and judging words he had spoken earlier.

"_I always knew you were strange dobe, but I never thought you'd take up womanly skills." A scathing look at the single flower; "And not be very good at them either."_

That same flower; dark purple with a splash of white and dark spots, long stemmed with a single bud coming off the side sporting a single tiny green leaf, seemed to be perfect now. Now that he knew and looked at it from a different perspective.

But he was drawn from his thoughts as Naruto gave an oddly devout gesture before standing swiftly, backing away three steps while still in his bow and leaving with all the reverence actions could allow.

So again he followed.

And again he was ashamed.

Naruto walked to the graveyard, past all the family plots that Sasuke knew were owned by the clans, past the plots designated for those ninja who had fallen and left no one behind and never belonged to such a prestigious clan, past the grave site set aside for villagers who had become somewhat of an idol amongst the village for some brave action or another, and even past the much cheaper graves (less cared for and weather worn) that were set aside for the poor villagers that came after the more well off villagers and all those in between.

Konoha had a very healthy respect for the dead, and Sasuke was loath to admit that he had not visited a grave in his life, and if he had it had been when he was younger and couldn't be able to remember and his mother had probably carried him through the whole ceremony that he wouldn't have understood anyway.

But they went past all these graves, although Naruto did pause briefly to bow in the direction of the poorer and lone graves that set off the beggars and homeless before he continued he was consistent in his path.

And then they reached _the_ graves.

These were where the hokage had been buried, where ashes and memorials and vases were set aside for reverence and tranquility- away from the hustle and bustle of the village proper, and away from the prying eyes of tourists and enemies.

And he watched with stunned eyes as the blonde took on a whole new descriptive in his mind, something to add to the list that made Naruto…_Naruto_.

He settled himself in the grass, and he paid his respects to each and every memorial and ash filled vase before he worked his way to the last interred leader of Konoha.

Sasuke was filled with this odd feeling of awe as he realized something.

And although he had all this to add to his perceptions of the blonde – all this to add to his perspective – it was an uncomfortable feeling.

He didn't_ want_ to feel that way about his teammate.

He was Naruto, and that was how he should remain.

But then the blonde whispered out a prayer, or maybe he started a conversation, and he caressed the memorial cairn with reverence and this strangely gentle touch that Sasuke startled at.

Gentle; that was another word he would never have associated with the rambunctious blonde, but here was Naruto shifting and evolving in his perspective. He guessed it was only inevitable, his team mate was always evolving and growing stronger, and he accepted that. So why didn't he accept the fact that he was also changing in maturity and emotion…

Maybe it was because Naruto might have always been this way, and he was in no position to make these assumptions- maybe that was what unsettled him. That he didn't really know much about this one teammate and despite that he had him all figured out and categorized and judged.

Always scoffing at his ridiculous dreams and thinking himself above him just because he was.

And that's how it was…or how it had been.

But as Sasuke watched him at the graves, and recalled so many other incidences where Naruto would show this little soft side of him, he realized that he didn't really mind the blonde teen like this.

In fact, he kind of liked it.

It was Naruto, as close as he could ever see, on the way to his dream.

And that was assurance in itself.

Naruto, he self assured boy who couldn't dim his sunny smile.

Here was the boy who most would scoff at for his ridiculous dreams and aspirations, but here was a boy that Sasuke could see becoming hokage.

Because now he understood- he understood that Naruto understood.

There was so much more to being hokage than the strongest and most powerful ninja in the village. Hokage was…simply so much more. He was the mentor and friend, the person who looked out for everyone in the village and _wanted_ to look out for everyone in the village.

He was the one who was strong and happy with his strength, content to watch over al that he surveyed form the tower at the center of town.

And he was the one willing to sacrifice all for his village, and maybe Naruto understood that part best.

Sasuke left quietly and swiftly, making sure not to attract the boy's attention as he was paying his respects. Naruto would understand the job, he visited the graves and understood the sacrifice, and he knew what it really meant to lead this village come hell or high water.

And Sasuke couldn't help but gain a new respect for him- just for that.

Sasuke let his lips smile as he realized something, the hokage was also the one who looked at the good in everyone in the village. And who else perfect for that than the boy who was shunned and could still smile s o brightly at it all.

Yeah, that was Naruto for you, and suddenly Sasuke found himself smiling with a hearty laugh as he pictured the villagers' faces when they themselves realized it.

Naruto, in Sasuke's new perspective, could and would achieve his dreams the hard way, and that just made Sasuke all the more certain that he too could achieve the peace of a dream.

Not an ambition.

So he smiled and nodded his head in respect to the blonde, and he couldn't help but anticipate the day that everyone else gained this new perspective.

He just couldn't wait.

.x.

I didn't get quite so carried away as my last one, but then again I'm tempted to rewrite this anyway. X No fear, I am not dead yet! And strangely enough this did break my writers block! WOOT!

Ahem. **PS**: I was wondering if people were averse to slightly AU one shots, just where I change one slight detail that doesn't affect the plot at all I assure you (Though I never did figure out how you could keep a fic canon and not even slightly AU when you are not the original author, but meh). As I stated, these are only small details that will aid me in writing these writers-block-stopping-one-shots that I get too carried away with anyways. I already have some ideas, but I would have to change those little details and if it bugs you too much then meh, I'll delete it or not even post the shot. Soo, I'll also take suggestions and ideas and encouragement; as long as it is plausible as a one shot and fits the general theme of these two I have written.

Other than that ENJOY!

Oh yes, some credits due to my sister for some helpful little conversation that inspired me for this…happy now?


	3. Sensei: Umino Iruka

Iruka watched the child, eyebrows furrowing as he scratched his nose and narrowed his eyes. He had not wanted to be one of those ordered to teach the child, but now he couldn't help but amend his position. The child wasn't exactly as he had claimed; and he couldn't help but find himself drawn to the silent and almost forcefully happy child.

His eyebrow furrowed further as he watched the blonde child contently build something out of the sand he was seated in. He had also watched earlier that day, as the other children carefully and meticulously avoided this one child despite his sunny inviting smile and the instinctual drive to just simply play. But he had seen the parents whisper to the children, not even caring if it was not one of their own, and he had even heard some of the whispers.

And he had watched.

He wouldn't have bothered to look so close, had the hokage not approached him and spoken to him about Naruto. And maybe he wouldn't even have bothered to listen to the hokage- if he had not been talking of children's games, of all things.

But the hokage had approached him with an enquiry of the games on the playground, if they helped to develop ninja skills and bonds that would help the soon-to-be-shinobi in their life. And there had been the underlying notion that he should watch one. And if Iruka knew the hokage – as he liked to think he did – he had been specifically mentioning this child.

This child that had blonde, spiky and uncontrollable locks of sunshine that were only shadowed by the ever brilliant smile that crinkled his sky-bitten blue eyes up into happy crescents and caused the cheeks that were scarred with the demon's mark to curve and dimple into something completely innocent looking.

And with this new, if forced, perspective he had set out to watch the children like he always did- and he paid specific attention to one in particular.

Despite the whispers and the taunts and the subtle snubbing that seemed to set something off in Iruka and make him raise his hackles he couldn't help but watch now. Watch like a predator waiting for his prey to reveal himself, watch like a scholarly man waiting for the divine truth of his tomes, and watch like a man waiting to be proved right.

And he found himself disappointed, if that was really it at all. The disappointment didn't stay there for long, even though he'd been proven grossly incorrect…

He couldn't find himself to be irritated at his loss, because he was too busy just watching.

…And damned if the perspective wasn't forced now.

He had lost his whole family to the demon– granted it wasn't a large family, but he had still lost his parents, the Umino house was now hauntingly empty, only the faint ghosts of scents belying the fact that there had been others living there. And he had grown up with that, the faint whispers of a presence he longed to remember so clearly but only received vague hints of thoughts and emotions before it was whisked away by time and (despite all he tried) the natural forgetfulness of the human mind.

It was hard to go through life like that after being so happy with his parents; it was hard to find these fleeting recollections and these scents, and it was very hard for him to even think about the young child as anything but the nine-tailed fox brat. He did not want to think of Uzumaki Naruto as anything other than the demon fox brat- the kyuubi brat, the nine tails, the gaki, the one that…

But now he couldn't. No matter that the esteemed sandaime had tried so many different tactics before this and so many different angles with him. Now he understood.

Despite the fact that he didn't want to understand…he now did.

He guessed it was a matter of perspective.

Now he understood, he understood, he understood.

He shook his head and slid his gaze back to the child, sitting in the sand and seeming to ignore these villagers and children that were so set in ignoring him. But now that he looked, now that he really looked…he couldn't help but notice. Now all he could see was a little lonely child who wanted someone to play with.

And that was why Iruka understood.

He had to see it from this angle, because he _knew_ this angle.

He had been one to play with his parents and he had been one join in with the villagers during their times of fun and games…and then without his parents he had been the one to pay pranks on himself and others to get their attention- to shout and laugh so loud that no one would notice how loud he screamed in his mind.

But this pain was different; this child that no one noticed was unique in his pain, but who could fault him in that? To him the easiest recollections of the villagers were the ones where someone didn't know his identity and had been warned away by some 'good-intentioned' villager. The only kind memories for him were those where he was alone, where only the hokage or some random and gentle animal that had let him approach and fondle it for affection.

And he watched the child and couldn't help but find that the child was just that…a child.

Iruka himself had enjoyed playing with the other kids- somewhat of a hero's child because his parents had died honorably trying to protect the village from the infamous and malicious Kyuubi no kitsune. Parents had only been too proud, with that irksome glint of pity, to let their children play with the kyuubi orphan. And then Iruka had turned to games and tricks…

He had been shunned as well, only the child to laugh at when he played this prank or had one of his 'klutz attacks'…he had not had one of those good friends to just simply sit beside after a long day and bask in the simple silence that seemed to permeate the comfortable bond that all friends had seemed to share.

But even then his happiness had been a mask…

But this child…he hadn't even known who his parents were or if he hd a family somehwere (just like the rest of the villagers, but they really had no desire to search out his history) and he never knew the difference between laughing at him or with him…it was always _at_ him. But he was simply happy.

And Iruka watched.

The comments continued, parents dragging their kids home after a long day of school or work and subtly shifting around the lone child- although it wasn't really all that subtle when one cared enough to actually look.

But he couldn't ever think of this child as the demon fox- never again.

Because he had watched.

And now he cared enough to notice.

A demon would _resent_ such harsh words - a demon would _hear_ those words no matter the distance – a demon would have at least a flash of hate or malice spark in those eyes before they could cover it with a mask and smile and try to keep the judging villagers clueless that he was indeed not as defenseless as the child's body appeared to be.

But no…this child with the sunny hair and brightening smile and happy crescent eyes only let his presence dim faintly as he noticed them blatantly (yes, he admitted it now that he actually looked) avoiding any path that would bring them close to the Uzumaki child.

And the dimming only lasted but a faint second before he gave another smile…a smile that was completely different and one he had never seen before. Of course, there was always the ever present sunny emotion that seemed to pulse around Naruto's every smile that you never really looked at but knew was there. But this was a different feeling smile.

The sunny hair seemed to droop only slightly as he looked up to the sky and offered a somewhat confused and wry smile, nonetheless still almost as bright as his other. But this smile- it seemed to say so much more; _Yes I don't understand why they're so mean but you can't hate me for trying to understand can you? I mean it's not like I'm that bad…am I?_

And there was so much more than just that, Iruka found he was slightly pained as the child did all this and then went back to playing in the sand below that one swing that no one seemed to use- because the demon brat was the one who used it. The grass tickling the edge of the sand and the child's tucked feet seemed to become the impenetrable forest and the sand became the safe haven complete with a castle and moat and stick flag posts proudly displaying allegiances…

All with that sunny bight smile that seemed to once again light up the little patch the true kyuubi orphan seemed to preside over.

No true demon would smile like that.

Or like…that….

So Iruka smiled and gathered a steeling breath in his lungs – holding it there for a brief second – and he walked towards the last child on the schools play yard.

The child looked up with that smile, it wavering slightly before coming full blast in that cheeky little grin that used to remind him strongly of a certain fox…but now all he could see was the forced impishness of a child.

He saw the closed eyes, holding back what he knew now to be curiosity and confusion and maybe a little bit of wariness…

But how could he even think that those eyes and that smile could hide the maliciousness of a demon's vengeful thoughts?

How could he believe that this young boy was the demon itself?

This child was a sacrifice for the safety of the villagers; how many times had he heard the reason that Konohagakure had the best ninjas…how many times had he _taught_ that the Konoha nins were better than any others because of their willingness to sacrifice oneself for the whole…to sacrifice ones happiness without thought of reward or praise except that someone else precious was safe? - that someone's family was safe.

And here was a child not yet a shonobi, a child that had yet to learn the true strength of the Konoha nins. And he was performing the greatest sacrifice of them all.

Iruka firmed his new perspective.

So as he settled himself in the sand beside the blinking and still smiling child he ruffled the blonde hair and set about making a little town, creating something alongside the little boy who (if it were possible) only seemed to grin brighter and harder and set about reinforcing the walls surrounding their little village.

After all, a village was only as strong as the people who make it; and that took care and time and effort and unity. He guessed Naruto and he understood each other on that part, and now Iruka found something about the child that he could understand.

Iruka just found a child under that villager bias, a child with whom he could identify.

This little child so overlooked and already condemned.

This _child_, in his perspective.

And he guessed that was all that really mattered now, he would help the child grow as much as he could and then watch as others realized this and helped the child grow. But now that Iruka understood and accepted and offered…he found himself wishing that others could see this wonderful child as the gift it was.

After all, Uzumaki Naruto was a child one had to view on a wholly different perspective than one viewed the natural world.

Because Naruto was just like that.

And the academy teacher and the orphan child built their flourishing town, taking up a great deal of the sandy space available to create an extensive set of roads and huts and stores, all ruled by the strong and compassionate leader that resided in the proud fortress like tower at the center of the town.

And then the child created something that totally took Iruka's perspective and almost made him weep. But no, it was only a sphere of sand caught in his eye.

The child carefully constructed a mountain towering over the village and even the all-important tower at the center of said village, using child hands and unskilled fingers to mold the side of the cliff into some semblance of faces- all in view of the village they had created.

And he smiled up innocently and then looked happily down at their work- late at night. No one would be worrying about two orphans coming home or that supper was getting cold…

"The most important precious people go there!" Came an enthusiastic and gleefully ringing voice, and the child grinned proudly at his creation. "They protect us don't they? They make sure that all the families feel safe at night in their beds…"

And Iruka had to wonder what the night held for this child as he slept in his bed…

But he too glanced down at the small village built of sand, only then realizing that it was eerily similar to a certain Konohagakure. The child smiled to him again; "I hope I can be one someday."

And Iruka could only smile and let that tear from the sand trail down his cheek. He stood up and dusted the remaining granules of sand off his pants, reaching out a hand to help the child up and grinning when Naruto squealed with delight at being almost lifted off the ground- he was a rather small child after all.

And Iruka walked the child home and watched the child reach up to unlock three locks upon his door and open it carefully and check inside before he entered completely and turned to smile up at him again.

"Goodnight Iruka-sensei!"

And Iruka nodded and smiled and left.

Those weren't the smiles of a demon, and those weren't the eyes of a demon. In fact those scars on the tanned cheeks weren't even the mark of a demon; they were the mark of a sacrifice. This was the mark and embodiment of the true nature of all of the Konoha shinobi.

He looked up at the stars with this new perspective, and couldn't help but think they seemed just tiny bit brighter…although he understood the impossibility of that very fact he couldn't help but let his grin grow wider in response.

Naruto was like that he supposed, he was a child that by all means was the opposite of those demons that lived to rain down death and destruction and havoc- Naruto was one who was just there, a beaming child who couldn't help but make you smile at the impossible brightness of it all if you cared enough to look.

And Iruka chuckled and vowed to himself; "By my words, I will help that boy."

And he could just see it; a child gaining the respect of the village and those around him just because he was one who persevered simply as he was.

And Iruka found himself admiring the child.

And he entered his house and turned off his lights for sleep with the thought of what that child could become swimming in his head- after all, who was he to deny the cry?

And he would help them see.

That's the beauty of it all.

He could help others see and watch- and he could help the child.

Iruka nodded his head and let himself drift off to sleep with a smile. After all, he was always considered rather fathering; who better to father than the fatherless?

..x.x.

Yes, I'm sorry carried away again I know. March, 2007: Now Edited

Sighs.

Anyhow I wanted to know what others thought of their childhood, what they associated with it. Cha.

But suggestions are welcome! Peace!


	4. Team 7: Haruno Sakura

"And it will be worse one time when you aren't with me." He said firmly as he guided her out of the store with his calloused hand at the small of her back. She could only gape soundlessly at him in response to that statement, and the fact that he said it with such truth and conviction it really couldn't be taken as a joke.

And how she so wanted to take it as a joke.

Sakura had never been one to think of Naruto as one of those smart young men that had graced the halls of the academy; he had not been one to the cool collected orphans that were so because they had to grow up too fast (if anything Naruto was the opposite), and he had not been one of those she considered would be so mature and responsible and independent and in control…

Now here she was staring at her teammate as he led her onto the geometric and rigid form of the konoha streets and held his grocery bag swinging in his other hand- whistling as he steered her through the crowds.

She gaped.

And she couldn't help it.

Here was the boy who was so loud you could hear him clear across konohagakure, here was the boy who you couldn't help but notice with his sunny personality and absolutely attention grabbing antics, here as the boy branded trouble maker and vengeful little brat…

And - and – she couldn't help but wonder if this was the real little boy, the one she hadn't bothered to get to know.

Guiltily she knew the only reason she had been with him to see the atrocious behavior of the vendor was because she had ran into him while he was doing his shopping (something she thought he wouldn't do himself anyway) and she had only stayed because she was bored and Naruto always happened to shed some insight into Sasuke's personality. He always seemed to know something about Sasuke that she would find helpful, and she guessed the only time she ever saw Naruto was during missions or a team meeting or when she glimpsed him in the streets.

She never knew that he did his own errands, she never thought that he knew how to bargain and meddle and shop efficiently (scary how he could find the best deal- something she hadn't even mastered yet). Of course, that wasn't saying much considering she knew mostly nothing of her blonde haired team mate. Then again, no one else really knew anything about him either.

She nodded her head decisively at this fact - it was enough to assuage her guilt ridden mind – and then Naruto paused and left her to help up a child from the road where he had fallen, his candies spread about in the dust to disappear under others feet.

She stopped to watch in detached wonder and some incomprehension as the now gentle male helped up the child no one else was aiding, and he reached into his just bought groceries to hand the child a chocolate with a wink and small smile.

And the guilt came back.

She had run into him purely by coincidence, hadn't even bothered to greet him properly before launching into a conversation about Sasuke (granted that was where they had left off last time they were talking- being mutually worried about their reclusive teammate for two entirely different reasons) and inviting herself to join him in his excursion.

He didn't say anything.

Naruto was like that she supposed. Surprising you all the time like that…

But then he hadn't said anything when the vendor had sneered at him and purposefully given him the almost sour milk and the rotting fruit and, and, and …just treated him so _Horribly!_!

And he had walked away with that damnably new and calm look on his face and stopped her from snarling at the vendor and she couldn't help but- ARGHHHH!

Her day had just gotten worse.

She did not need to gain a new perspective on her team member (But damn her curiosity). So she continued walking with him and couldn't help but send furtive glances at him from his side. He had grown in the time she had known him, and had become a very good friend to most all the rookies- and a very honorable rival to the rest. There was just something about Naruto (the normal one, she wasn't sure how people would react to this one) that you liked, admired, or envied.

That was just the way it went.

And now, Sakura thought with a sad face as she glanced a parent shepherding her child away from Naruto while smiling at Sakura, she found another way it simply 'went' for the sunny blonde.

And they arrived at his apartment with nothing different happening- but now she took the effort to simply notice everything that she had seen as normal when she was around the blonde bundle of sunshine and pep.

There wasn't the standard call of greetings the civilians gave to the ninjas who protected them, and there weren't any of his neighbors offering him a welcoming smile or waving out endearments and shouting greetings…

None of that.

But there were cold glares and slamming doors and glaring eyes between blinds that quickly snapped shut- and through it all he walked straight and swung his bags and whistled.

She knew this was just another facet of his person, for Naruto was too guileless to keep up a mask. In fact, she thought as she quickened her steps to keep up with her enthusiastic partner, Naruto was never one to talk about himself much- just exclaim loudly of his dream to be hokage and yell at someone when he disagreed and felt the need to argue his point. That was when the Naruto she knew was revealed.

The only reason she even knew he was an orphan was because Iruka had briefly mentioned it in the academy days…and then nothing, she knew nothing about him.

Sure she had been to his apartment once, but he had surprised her with the seemingly bare place, empty and hollow and bereft of any semblance of his presence except the food left on the counter and a few potted plants scattered amongst the scrolls that littered the wooden floor.

It was entirely unhelpful in discovering Naruto's personality (not that she had been very much bothered with this side of Naruto's personality at the time- she thought with a rather guilty look at the now grinning blonde as he walked beside her). They encountered the door to his apartment.

And she entered his domain for only the second time in their entire stint as teammates. Sure she _had_ been one to wake him when he was late for a meeting- but it only took her calling through the wall for him to come to his senses and meet her at the door all ready to go; and that other time she had been there, was when she had needed help with Sasuke, she had rushed into his apartment and gabbed and whined and cried about the problems with the stoic and handsome Uchiha.

And Naruto had helped.

But now as she watched him take the groceries out of their bag and settle them down on the counter she had to look once again on the evidence of the Naruto she didn't know. The milk flashed mockingly at her the expiry date, set for few days soon to come, and the fruit lay limp and pathetic as Naruto set it about his counter space and they seemed to glare lazily at her from their positions.

And the only thing that looked even remotely edible was the packaged ramen Naruto placed aside on the table, near the chair she sat in as he set about now putting away the perishables in the fridge (and she cringed as she realized that it wouldn't do much good for the food now).

Sakura sighed and Naruto turned to her with a smile, lighting up the rather dreary apartment and making her frown at him.

He blinked in confusion at her, tilting his head to one side like this little lost kitten she had once found…

"Why are you acting so stupid?"

His brows crinkled and his head tilted in that damnably hurt and confused puppy look that had never really affected her before… "Sakura-chan, I don't know what you are talking about."

Sakura growled. "I am talking about that sour milk! And that rotting fruit! Don't you know how to pick out the right stuff? Can't you stick up for yourself!"

And she stopped ranting as he gave her that little smile, closed his eyes softly, and tilted his head down; a rather un-Naruto like picture.

"Sa, Sakura-chan. That's just the way it goes."

Sakura sat back, a soft sound of shock and disbelief escaping her unnoticed as she simply stared at her blonde teammate; a teammate who was by far the sunniest of all four that made team seven, who didn't seem to be brought down by anything…a teammate who was always alone.

Sakura's eyes softened and her head tilted slightly of its own volition- and Naruto tensed up. "Don't!" His voice rang through the otherwise silent apartment with strength and steel. And Sakura drew back with wide eyes. His expression clouded and he turned himself away from her, leaning heavily against the counter and sighed. "Don't look at me like that; I don't want your pity."

Sakura opened her mouth to say something, reaching out a hand to backtrack and deny or apologize or argue…she didn't really know.

A sigh; "Just leave okay?" he turned around to face her with a rueful smile that gradually was forced into his usual expression of brightness. "I promise I'll be normal tomorrow."

And she left.

But as she walked through the halls of his apartment, with the inhabitants smiling or waving or calling out a cheerful greeting; and along the symmetrical streets of Konoha to her house, lined with stands full of wares and merchants calling out praises, happily enticing her to buy from their stock; she found she had a new perspective on the blonde.

He hadn't scowled in reply to the cold and harsh behavior of the villagers – so opposite to what she was receiving now - even going so far as to smile at the woman who had given him the perishing groceries…He had not reacted the way any normal person would- because then he wouldn't be Naruto.

She smiled ruefully, and couldn't help but close her eyes and change her smile to a bursting grin not unlike the one her teammate usually gave.

Because Naruto was like that.

And she walked and greeted and waved with a smug smile; after all, all these people were going to realize something really soon- and really fast.

Uzumaki Naruto was a great person, she realized that. Now all that was needed was the villagers to notice as well.

She laughed and threw her head back, letting her hair swing around her shoulders as she squinted at the sun light sky- the blue reminding her of his proud eyes. She couldn't help it after all; some things about Naruto were just contagious.

She even went so far as to pass the stupefied bishounen named Uchiha Sasuke, she had after all spotted a gaggle of females she knew to be very good gossips and even better vengeful chits.

It was time to boycott a certain vendor.

And that was that.

.xX.x

YAY! Woot…I don't really like this one like my others…but I guess posting it is okay. I LOVE MY REVIEWERS! lOl. I hope that you enjoy this rather questionable piece, I feel I didn't get the emotional grasp on this one as well as the others…but you'll forgive me ne?

OH YEAH! **SUGGESTIONS**? What do you remember about childhood? Any specific games or moments that would make a great one shot for this are helpful so review and comments are great! Actually…I looooove reviews…lol.


	5. Sandaime Sarutobi

A young child sat upon the lone swing, and thought he wasn't swinging (in fact he had never seen the child actually swing on the play piece but rather sway from left to right as he scuffed his toe in the dirt) it looked as if that particular piece of amusement was his and his alone. Now old man hokage, as the child in question liked to call him, was never one to be 'up with the times' (as they liked to call being wild and rebellious now days) but he understood that there were certain norms and behavior that were universal.

And that child was lonely.

He had usually seen him grinning and laughing and playing - by himself now that he thought of it – but he had never really seen him so …just _looking_ so lonely.

So he approached the boy. After all, he had been known to liken himself to a somewhat grandfatherly figure- he saw no reason he couldn't do the same with this particular child.

But when he got closer, and saw exactly how lonely the child looked, and maybe how content he was just at the moment- Like he did not need someone to comfort him…_right now_.

He eased his way back the way he came. He saw no point in disturbing the child when he so rarely saw such a look upon that ones face. If anything the looks he had seen had been energetic and fun-loving and not at all like the contemplative and seemingly docile and content child before him.

It gave him a new perspective.

This was the child who could light the dawn with that smile of his, squinting his eyes with the force of his emotion and trying to convey that he would shine no matter what you threw his way.

But right now he would be the moon. Still reflecting the vibrant light and ever reaching energy of the sun, but somehow more calming and accepting of everything and anything…yes, Naruto could be the moon for this moment- this moment alone.

.x.

It was during the course of a few weeks that he saw the boy at his usual, joyously smiling and laughing and pulling pranks.

And then he got his opportunity.

.x.

The blonde was almost smothered beneath the leaves he had buried himself in, and Sarutobi held back a chuckle as he spotted the brilliant yellow snatch of hair that belied the child's hiding place.

Sarutobi let out that chuckle when he caught the faint movement of the leaves, and the whispered mutterings of said child.

"Naruto-kun?" The leaves shook themselves into the form of the seven year old, and Sarutobi smiled with his eyes crinkling as the leaves and grass stuck to the boy's clothes and hair. "I believe that wasn't the best hiding place for you." Although the orange of his pants did blend rather well with the fallen leaves and tall grasses.

Sarutobi tilted his head as the boy scowled and dusted off his dark shirt- uncovering the konoha leaf symbol. "I weren't hiding." Sarutobi chuckled again, pulling the boy up from his crouched position and kneeling so he could look in the eyes of the child. He was a rather small child (as most children were, but there were some tall ones, and Naruto was not among them) and Sarutobi found he had to crouch down lower than usual to look into the tanned face and blue eyes that made the demon carrier.

"You were not hiding?"

The boy scowled, inching slightly away from the outstretched hand- so as not to be offensive but enough to get him out of reach. "I wasn't_ playin'_ hiding, but I was hiding."

Sarutobi raised an eyebrow, wondering at the certain phrasing and implications that had taken on when the boy said it in such a way. "How is it that you are hiding but not playing hiding?" He brought up a hand to push back the child's unruly locks, only to have the child flinch slightly and shy away almost imperceptibly- if not for the old mans acute senses and his previous experiences with the child.

The boy straightened himself out proudly, almost looking as if he would not answer out of sheer perverseness before he deflated and scuffed his feet in the leaves he had previously been so comfortable in. "I don't play anything. I was practicing in case I needed to…hide…you know?"

No, he didn't know. Sarutobi settled onto his bended legs more, tilting his head and shifting his hat so he could observe the child fully. Naruto wouldn't look at him. "Why can't this be construed as playing?"

At first there was confusion due to his wording, and Sarutobi was almost ready to explain realizing he was still dealing with a child despite his maturity…and then Naruto answered. "It's kind of pointless to play when …well." He looked around furtively, as if for an excuse or distraction that would 'draw' his childish attention and subsequently Sarutobi's own. He found none. "There's something about playing hide and seek when you know they won't bother to seek you."

And so the hokage known as Sarutobi and sandaime nodded with all the understanding and empathy he could muster. And that was a lot. Though, the trick with this child was holding it all back, because he never was one for too much reaction from someone. He just wasn't used to it.

He would figure that he had some ulterior motive and shy away from him even as he was curious and needy. And he smiled and let his eye wink as he gestured with a hand to the whole of the konoha forest between the park and the tower. "Let this be our play place ne? I'll be the first seeker."

And though there was the light of mistrust in those blueorbs and the faint edge of panic and fear was hinting and winking tauntingly from the corners of those wide eyes, the near enveloping light of joy and hope and energy that came was reward enough. And Sarutobi smiled as the boy disappeared for what would be the first of many times that night- he would make sure of it.

This child never really had a childhood of laughter and playmates and fun…so the hokage guessed it was never too late to make up for it now. Every kid needed to have some little bit of mischief in their life, Naruto could start on his now (Little did he know, he would someday rue those fatal words). And then Sarutobi started out toseek his new playmate.

It was a long drawn out game, one of surprising skill in espionage and stealth, and the hokage found himself enjoying it as much as Naruto obviously was. The smile he flashed at him was simply ecstatic when he saw it, and the mischievous grin that somehow emerged between those scarred cheeks was joyful and somehow just happier than he had ever seen the boy.

He guessed everyone at one point needed a playmate they knew would play by the rules of their game, one that would enjoy the game as much as they would, and one that would simply understand that there was more to a game than simply playing and understanding the rules. It was gaining an understanding of each other, the habits and likes that made a person simply who they were and hinted at what they would do and what they had done and always really told you where you stood with a person.

And that was Naruto's perspective…Sarutobi could see it.

So now he had to change his perspective as well.

…

Later as he held the boy, tired from his playing enough to actually let him hold his small form to his own, he decided to have a talk with one of the academy teachers. This boy needed someone he could understand- and who would understand him.

He guessed that would make all the difference.

But then again, as he looked down on the small body he held protectively as it slumbered and dreamed, he had the fleeting thought that maybe, just maybe, knowing that someone would seek him out was enough for the child.

At least for now.

And Sarutobi guessed he had a new perspective on the simple things.

And on Naruto.

Because it was true, there really was no point to the game of hide and seek if they weren't intending to find you- just like there was no point to life if there was no one who would bother to find you either.

And now he understood.

He just hoped that someday they would understand too.

.x.

.x.X.x.

YAY! I GOT SOME SUGGESTIONS! Lol. Okay, I got an idea for tadaima…although I am having other trouble with people not really giving me suggestions…but kudos to this idea to the Dark Fairy of Doom, it helped as you can see! And does anyone have the time to tell me the ranks of gamakichi and gamabunta and the like? It will help me with a one shot. Yah. Enjoy peeps!


	6. Ichiraku: Ichiraku Ayame

WARNING: slightly AU…forgive me but it bit me and I couldn't make it go away….SUMIMASEN! I'll delete it if I get too much opposition…oh my god I think I'll cry!

…

…

…

She scrubbed the table top and smiled as she looked up to glance a bundle of blonde and orange – like a sunset – land in one seat that was always reserved for their little troublemaker. Ayame squinted at the little bundle of sunshine she and her father had grown attached to, there was something off…

Ah yes. "Wasn't your genin test today?"

The blonde nodded while slurping up the noodles from the beefy broth just set in front of him. She never understood how he could look so intently focused on something she saw every day. But then it was Naruto and he found pleasure in the oddest of things. He would forever have something to smile about. But the test…

"Is it over already?" There was surprise coloring her voice.

He nodded his head again, not even looking up from his continuous slurping of their special soup- or so he liked to call it. Ayame knew that they served the exact same recipes as every other ramen stand in Fire Country. But Naruto was like that.

"So…did you pass?"

He nodded again, distracted still.

Now her confusion clouded her face. He finished his ramen and had pushed it away with that pleased expression that spoke of his belly being pleasantly full. "What exactly was your test?"

His eyes looked up to her, and once gain she was surprised and amazed at the odd blue color, colored with his own surprise and confusion before they cleared and he refocused on the actual here-and-now and not what-was-in-his-belly. "We had Kakashi-sensei, he gave us a survival test."

Ayame leaned forward in anticipation, catching her father leaning slightly as well in interest. "What kind of survival test?" Naruto always wove the brightest renditions of his day for them.

He grinned; at her attention or some humor in the question she knew not. His reply was casual enough. "He said it had a 66 rate of failure- but my team and me passed!" His eyes went to those happy crescents and Ayame smiled and motioned with her hand for him to continue as she cleaned the counter space around him. His expression grew thoughtful. "Kakashi-sensei even told us to skip breakfast because we would puke it up!" He laughed out long and hard.

Now Ayame grew confused, and shared a look to her old man that he never caught- so enraptured was he in humming out an approving note at the child's laughter. It was rare enough to hear this particular tune from the child. She huffed and turned back to their self proclaimed charge.

But Naruto continued as if he didn't notice her look: which she knew he did, he was always careful to watch them for any sign of ire- he wanted to keep coming here after all.

And still… "But it wasn't so hard! I just had to work with the team to prove that we knew the basics of the Konoha shinobi!"

She gave in, he wouldn't acknowledge her confusion unless she stated it directly, and he didn't really want her to know something. So she avoided the topic for now; "And just what are the basics of Konoha shinobi?" said with a wry smile.

He grinned up at her, that one grin that made her breath catch because it was so sunny despite all the other rude vendors and townspeople and the something she knew he was hiding at the moment. "Why working together of course!" And she watched as he continued to blather on so enthusiastically and charmingly that her father even stopped turning the fires and chopping the ingredients for their ever precious ramen bowls.

It was so nice to see this smile.

Naruto had many different smiles; they had found this after years of simply watching and enjoying his company. He had this certain smile that told you he knew something you didn't, and wasn't above holding it over your head. He had a smile that spoke of uncertainty in the wavering of its brilliance but his pure energy came through in that brilliance none the less. He even had a smile for when he was in pain, that one being forced but blinding to reassure others and may haps distract them from worrying overtly and therein causing him to worry over them.

But this…this smile was one of pure and unadulterated contentment. But as he explained the test and happenings of his day like a happy child greeting his family after work or school…she couldn't help but notice the discrepancies.

"You didn't eat enough." She let her maternal side take over, and stated it because it was true. For him to not have had breakfast and then only shared a lunch with his teammates he surprisingly ate only the usual amount of food he had for one meal…surely he would be far hungrier than he ever had before.

The boy paused with his used chopsticks, resuming tapping them on the counter as he regained his sunny composure; somehow it was missing a vital piece. He stared off at some distant point… "I ate breakfast."

Ayame's jaw fell, Naruto had never been one to disobey a direct order from a higher up- he always wanted to prove himself worthy any way he could even if he had to be sent on the most demeaning jobs.

"You…_ate_...breakfast."

"I figured that whatever he threw at me could never be worse than my nightmares." And he grinned again, but Ayame found it was that grin that said he was in pain and that he didn't want them to worry…she found that something about their blonde had changed, or something about the way they viewed the blonde had changed.

She shared a glance with her father- one of worry and wonder that was mirrored in his far older face. But his gaze shifted, and the worry that was always there for the child became a soft understanding that her old man shared with her. And then she understood as well.

So she smiled and tried to keep her eyebrows from creasing and gently shooed him away from the stall to home. She shared a veiled but amused glance with her father, and he simply smiled at her and shook his head as his own little message telling her not to worry, _never_ to worry

So she didn't.

After all, Naruto would persevere; his smiles always would be there to light up their little shop. And Ayame could live with that. As long as the blonde child needed them and their shop as his personal little haven they would be there; it was enough for him, so it would be enough for her. She never needed to worry; neither of her men _wanted_ her to worry.

She nodded her head and greeted the next customer. The world moves on, Naruto moves on, so they would as well.

Without worry.

.x.x.x.X.x.x.x.

hmm, I told you it was slightly au, and I think it would have been better in Kakashi's pov but I already did his. Don't hate me! I hit writers block for my baby again, wail! So I had to write another Perspective…I think I should have done it in another pov, I really should. But suggestions (like the situations they should reveal their perspective in….ne? any hints?) are welcome and I will write some more one shots even if I don't have writers block…I'm starting to enjoy this. -


	7. Asuma Team 10: Yamanaka Ino

She gaped at her blonde buddy, stunned completely into silence at the way he simply stood there with that rapturous expression on his face. They had just entered her family shop and he had jolted to a stop with a surprised look on his face and closed his eyes. She settled her weight to one foot and quirked an eyebrow. Naruto was acting weird again.

His tanned face turned up slightly and she watched his nose twitch as he scented the air. She fought back the giggle that resulted from this action- for it reminded her of the curious cat she had once seen as it walked into a field with catnip. Her emotions settled down into amused curiosity with only the faint edge of impatience- she was a stubborn boar after all and Naruto was taking to much time doing…whatever it was he was doing.

"You…have a _great_ home!" he beamed at her and she looked at him as if he was crazy…which he usually was.

"Naruto…it's just my house." She looked around the flower shop, soil and earth and pollen greeting her nose.

There was the table she had fallen against when she was three and her dad had to carry her up the stairs to her mother to get her knee bandaged…that particular shelf had fallen over once, and she had laughed as her father paced and cursed with the knowledge that her mother would come home and whap him in the head…that was where she had seen her father kneel before her mother with that little twig only sporting one leaf and her mother had blushed…over there was where her mother had almost fallen over laughing because the flower she had been trying to uproot had sent her stumbling and gotten her all dirty…

It was just a regular house, where she had grown up and not anything like those awesome clan houses where everything was a testament to their heritage and character…

Naruto grinned and brought her out of her musings with the theoretically unattainable brightness of it all. "It's still awesome!" His head tilted in his closed eye expression of curious thought, and Ino found herself holding back a smile from the Naruto-ness of that pose. She had yet to see anyone else pull it off. "It's not your house though." Before she could whap him for the stupidity of that statement he grinned and crossed his hands behind his head of blonde uncontrollable spikes. "It's your home."

And he leaned against the counter where he could wait with a whistle, paying no attention to her as she slowly walked up the back stairs to their overhead house…home… to get what they had originally come for.

Home…

She kind of liked the sound of that.

And her eyes softened from their usual dark hard blue as she wondered if Naruto had a home…

Then she shook her head, rushing about to gather her stuff and grabbing the unsuspecting blonde compatriot by his arm and dragging him out of the store at a dead run. She had just the thing to find her sunny blonde friend a home…who better to than her and all the rookie nine…the friends of this little bundle of mischief that was currently flying behind her pace with a surprised expression on his face.

He was an orphan, this she knew from whispers and a reluctant Sakura. That meant he never knew what a home was and would feel all the more affected when he entered some place where family was family. It kind of helped that her family were kind of connected by their special blood ability…

She wasn't surprised when he was able to pull her to a stop…he was strong.

She _was_ surprised when he smiled and his eyes lit up as he spotted their old academy teacher Iruka. And she watched the two exchange something that completely changed her mind…changed her perspective.

Naruto had his home already. She watched detachedly as he greeted their friends and some people she had never seen before, startling her greatly when she saw him greeting some of the homeless who mirthfully greeted him back.

He didn't have a house; he didn't have a house for a home…he had _people_ that he called home. And Ino found she could live with that.

She smirked as she remembered some of the things she had heard around the town, and remembered some of the things this blonde had done, and then recalled how Sakura was around their little brother figure….

Her eyes drifted into memories, and that was okay too. She could remember her home, where her family accepted her because they were similar and special and loved. And she could be a part of Naruto's home, where everyone wasn't the same and all were accepted as long as they knew one thing.

Naruto was …

Naruto.

And they were his home and that was all that mattered to him.

It wouldn't matter that they complained and sometimes ignored him, he wouldn't care that they weren't always there to say hi or talk, it didn't make much of a difference that other things had their attention sometimes and he had to act the fool to grab it again. They didn't need to be related by blood, they didn't need an actual building to call their own, and they didn't need to listen to what anyone else said about it. Naruto didn't care that they were different or stupid or obnoxious or tainted…they were his friends…his home.

And as Ino stepped into the field her friends were congregating in with her head tilted and eyes half lidded in an expression reminiscent of a cat that had gone into a field that contained catnip and rookies looked at her oddly with a little grin… it was okay.

Because it was Home…

..x.X.x..

..x..

Was going to have all of 'Team 10; Asuma cell' but I got carried away with Ino and decided I could give you Chouji and Shikamaru when I am finished with them…not that I own them U--. I might even do Asuma if I get _inspiration_. I am looking for suggestion for others (ie; not team 10) like whom and why they changed and what they saw…help appreciated.

HOPE YOU ENJOY!

If you are offering Miss Selarne...it would be much better. No one has offered to beta me, and I do have a life outside of writing fanfic with little alotted computer time. I would find it rude to request a beta, since it would take time out of their schedule and ruin the whole surprise of my plots. I'm sorry, I enrolled in a typing class to help my skills. Hope it helps in the future- and thanks for pointing out the mistakes! When you keep on reading something (especially if you went over it in your head _before _you ever typed it up) your eyes skip over words and grammar mistakes because you know what you are reading...lol. So Thanks! And you have to admit I usually do have passable grammar and spelling. U--


	8. Morino Ibiki

The blonde was laughing at his question, head tilting and shoulders scrunching as he closed his eyes and let the sound echo down the hall Morino had confronted him in.

"Why do I laugh?" Naruto grinned, looking at Morino Ibiki and then the hand the large man had placed on his shoulder, Morino looked as well, but his heavy hand remained and his heavy gaze returned despite the silent hint to remove his appendage. He had been the silent boy in the academy taking the lessons to heart; _Shinobi must see underneath the underneath_.

Naruto laughed, breaking him out of his reflection.

It seemed as if the blonde could never stop, but he hooted lightly and drew in sharp breaths, "I practically _knew_ you would do that!"

Morino Ibiki was head of the Interrogation Corps; he knew the inner psychology of any nin he came across within five minutes of conversation and observance. Why in the world would this blonde genin be any different? He could read every minute move of his body; he could decipher every word for the hidden meaning and find out where true loyalties lay- and this one genin had stumped him with something as simple as his laughter of all things.

"I asked you a simple question Uzumaki." And it was a simple question, he had been reading into Naruto's every move for days, since watching him at the chuunin test. There had always been the slight question to his sanity due to the conflict of Kyuubi's chakra and the hate of the villagers and misguided nin, but Naruto seemed to be crazy for entirely different reasons.

He was always laughing.

He had no reason to laugh, not any that Ibiki could see and he had been watching closely for a while. He was trained to watch closely, look closely and scrutinize every single detail he could; it was almost instinctual for him to examine a person as soon as he first looked at them.

The kid was interesting enough during the initial test, but Ibiki had started to actually bother watching the boy even after his portion of the test, seen how he reacted and observed the other fights and how he created a new technique for his multiple bunshins to use from simply _observing_ his friend.

He had seen an entirely different child than he and others put forth- simply because he was cheerful and oblivious to most things didn't mean he was an idiot. He had no one to teach him how to interact with people, he had no one to show him that you needed to pay attention in class, and he had no one to tell him why he was hated. So he was oblivious about these things and appeared the idiot.

But there were the things he had extreme experience in, things that the blonde could talk about like the seasoned shinobi that actually made it to retirement. He knew exactly what to say to someone who'd lost their family, could gaze unflinching into hate filled eyes and stick up for the underdog like _no one else would_.

Naruto was honest and pure and determined. He was just Naruto. And he was still the most fun out of the entire rookies! He had heard the kids talk, heard the students whisper excitedly about the games the blonde played with them when he was free and had even caught him playing with them once.

He grinned, canine like, up to him, short for his age but that _was probably from malnutrition and hunger in his childhood_. His tongue briefly came out, an insolent expression on his face as he closed one eye and laughed. "You ask a question and it's not simple anymore!" His laughter rang out again.

Ibiki found he was irritated_ and _amused; something he had never quite been to this extent before.

He knew the blonde was good at judging people, and he put personalities into the simplest and bluntest words- he should know he had heard him muttering once … … …possible case of multiple personalities? ...did he talk to the fox? ...did he notice he did it? ...was it on purpose? ...

The blonde sighed happily, shoulders going up and then down with the exaggerated emotion before he was grinning full out and almost blinding the poor old interrogator in front of him. "But I smile because I can help them!"

A confused look, rather empty to anyone else but Ibiki felt his eyes narrowing and his head tilting slightly on his neck. Maybe Naruto would continue…

But the blonde grinned Machiavellian like up at him and stuck his tongue between his teeth, tapping his foot on the ground as he waited.

Ibiki snarled lightly and gave in, wondering exactly how good the blonde was at reading people and giving them subtle hints that really no one else but him would notice on anything other than the subconscious instinctual level; "Just how can you help them?"

The smile dimmed to something soft like sunsets, even the genin's hair seemed to droop with a gentler emotion. "I had nightmares all the time,"_ I have nightmares all the time_, "so I know exactly what it is to be a shinobi, a tool to kill." _I've seen the blood and_ _gore in my dreams because I have a trained and ancient killer in me._

"So I know my path; I will create my own ninja way."_ I decided I don't want that for me, so I am going to change it. _

"But they don't know exactly what they are getting into." _They are ignorant of the true shinobi- death dealers and assassins, we fight dirty as long as we win and complete the mission._

"And since they will be shinobi anyway, I wanted them to be kids for just a little while longer." _I can give them something more that will be taken away_ **later**…

"So I decided to make them laugh, give them some fun." _Fun that I never really got to experience _…until someone gave it to me…

"I…know what it is like to kill, to feel the blood on your hands as you slowly come back to reality from the numb controlled sensation of the job." –_the kill; I go through it every night when I sleep._

"So I** had** to make them laugh. Even if it was at me…" _That way they could laugh, and then when they are older and I can't make them laugh any more they can still look back._

"So Morino man, does that answer your question?" There was that brighter grin again, and Morino Ibiki could only watch as the blonde bundle of sunshine literally bounced about the room with his extra liveliness- _was it excess energy from his clashing chakra systems?_

And still the blonde was laughing. He was laughing as he left the interrogator and his laughter and joyful hollers still echoed faintly back to him as the blonde went out of sight.

It was all about the laughter.

.x.x.x.x.xxXxx.x.x.x.x.

I kind of made Naruto slightly crazy…oops? But I guess in a confrontation he would either get angry/defensive or laugh it off, hence the craziness. Sorry if it is too ooc.


	9. Asuma Team 10: Nara Shikamaru

**Shikamaru**:

The quality of the silence, that's what it was. He let out a sigh as he shifted slightly to relieve the pressure of a rock in his back, too lazy to completely move from the annoying thing. His hands came up to curl under his head in the soft grasses.

His movements alerted the silent figure beside him, and he watched in the black and white peripheral vision of his eyes as Naruto gave him a lazy look before he resettled himself and looked back up to the sky.

Yup, silence with Naruto was actually much better than anything silent at all. With the crunching of Chouji at his side and the warming presence of Naruto at his opposite he just might be able to relax some.

"I never knew you liked cloud gazing Naruto." Chouji spoke up between mouthfuls of crunchy and salty fried potato delights.

"Sure I do. Clouds are great because they can be whatever you make of them." Shikamaru frowned and tilted his neck oddly, actually bothering to try to look at the blonde who was a little behind to the side of him. That was an odd answer that he had never heard before.

Now Naruto was never predictable, and Shikamaru had never liked the unpredictable. His uncanny ability to come up with several responses and read people was growing legendary amongst Konoha civilians or nin. Shikamaru had been surprised to find Naruto usually broke all his expectations despite being in his class for years and a comrade for even more.

He was not used to the difficulty he had in reading Naruto.

But everyday that he spent with the blonde led to more discoveries and more complexities. Shikamaru was almost ready to give up casually observing (not that he ever really stopped mind you, it was just that he seemed to wake from his laziness to particularly observe a certain blonde who was too mysterious to be healthy for him).

There was something so troublesome about trying to figure out the blonde, but then Shikamaru would be bitten by the almost irresistible urge of the challenge. And it helped that Naruto was anything but unwelcoming. He never turned anyone away and kept his word.

But for someone so open to everyone he sure as hell was an enigma.

Shikamaru sighed and looked back up at the clouds, once again settling into the silence and hoping his curiosity (yes his curiosity) would leave him alone and let him enjoy the rare moments that were becoming even rarer to the ninja of Konohagakure.

Naruto was always shifting and growing, Shikamaru had predicted he would lose in the Chuunin exam- he didn't. Shikamaru had thought the loud mouthed blonde was just that- he wasn't. Chouji knew Shikamaru enough to predict his moves in the examination, and it galled Shikamaru that his other close comrade was so overlooked by even him (the master of observing the small things) that even with his loud personality he was invisible.

But he wasn't really loud.

Naruto was just too _bright_.

Some people mistake them for each other, but when Shikamaru really thought about it Naruto was bright- he was so bright that people mistook him for loud and uncouth and rude and annoying and desperate.

Which he wasn't, Shikamaru thought with a wry twist of his lips as Naruto smiled at the clouds.

Bright; blazingly glowing with light, vivacious, animated, lively, cheerful…

Loud; strong or powerful in sound (Naruto didn't need to make noise to be who he was, it was just a result of his good cheer), confused mixture of sounds (Naruto was anything but confused, he knew his path and strived for it with everything eh was), rumor monger (Naruto hated gossip for unknown reasons, but Shikamaru had seen the old lady mongers giving him off looks enough to now that he really didn't want to know)…

Yes, Naruto was simply bright. You couldn't ignore the sun after all.

Figures, because Naruto was so bright Shikamaru had to pay some token attention to him, and then get caught up in all this thinking when he should be staring at his lovable clouds. He sighed and felt his muscles slump, letting him sink further into the ground.

That nuisance of a rock hadn't decided to make it more comfortable in all the time he spent contemplating.

He heard faint whispers over the background noise he had learned to ignore of crinkling bagged food and Chouji munching. He cocked his head in confusion, eyes meeting the profile of Naruto smiling and whispering to himself as he stared at the clouds.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes; you weren't supposed to decipher the clouds, you were just supposed to stare at them and watch the float by without a care in the world. Finding pictures in them was too troublesome.

Chouji's munching paused as he too caught their blonde's odd motions, and Naruto hummed a bright note in response to his notice of their odd looks. He grinned and his eyes squinted, too much like the sun against a sky with his loud…bright hair and tan skin and blue eyes. Shikamaru wondered if he had clouds on him somewhere too…

Chouji swallowed loudly, licking his fingers and tilting his head as he gave Naruto an amused look. "What are you doing?"

Shikamaru let his ears listen instead of blocking the noise- in favor of finding out his own question instead of damning it as troublesome and watching the freedom of the clouds. He heard the blonde laugh; like the wind it was so quiet, like he was afraid to disturb the natural sound around them even though he was usually brightly laughing so that it echoed amongst the trees.

"I told you I like the clouds, they can be anything you make of them. I'm trying to figure out how many things that one," he made a very vaguer gesture with his arm in some direction at the sky, "over there can be. Haven't got much so far," his rueful expression was still brightly happy, cheerful, and lively…like this wasn't a disappointment but another way that he passed the time for the simple joy of looking at things differently.

"It kind of looks like a hotdog…" came Chouji's distracted voice, strangely muffled since his head was tilted back extravagantly and his face was to the sky and not them or his bag of chips.

Naruto laughed, tilting his head as he sat up so he could look at it exactly the way Chouji was. It was with another laugh that he agreed, patting Chouji on his broad back and smiling like the sun. "Yeah, and when you twist you head like this…" he demonstrated, "it makes it look like a pair of eyes." He shifted back to his sitting position. "I see a boat and a scroll and those eyes," he nodded vaguely in Chouji's direction, "And Chouji's hotdog. What do you see Shikamaru?"

Shikamaru twisted his head, looking at that cloud and really examining it instead of envying it and its freedom. But he got distracted, looking at the bright spikes of blonde casually resting against vibrant green grass and folded tan arms.

He saw a boy.

This was a strong boy, overlooked and ignored and sometimes hated…he was teased and ridiculed and never gave up despite how troublesome it was. He smiled in the faces of those who glared at him, and he laughed with those who laughed at him. He shone in the dark, no matter how oppressive, and always in some way came out on to even when he apparently lost.

He saw Naruto.

This was a ninja who overcame whatever was in his past that made him so shunned, he overcame what could have been his doubts and his trouble and became what they saw everyday. With no need for breaks from his troublesome role and no need for encouragement from anyone else he was their bright sun.

Shikamaru shifted his eyes to glance at the cloud, and felt his retina burn with the force of the sun in the sky a little ways from the direction he was looking in. he felt the shift in silence of his two comrades, basking in this warmth and quiet like it really was the sun coming down to wrap around tem.

It was just Naruto…

He saw the cloud in question shift into something like a scroll and then those eyes and that hotdog and some type of misshapen boat…

He looked over to his friends, found them staring at him with smiling eyes, and scoffed. "So troublesome…" but then he grinned and lay back down, "it looks like Change."

He didn't need to see it.

He felt the exuberant joy of Naruto's grin and heard his bubbling quiet type of laughter as Chouji started to once again snack on his chips.

Shikamaru snickered, face going blank as he sighed and finally reached under him to remove that rock of annoying troublesomeness.

Change was good…he supposed. But then he felt his friends shift to lay back and join him, and he decided change didn't matter.

This silence was even better…not so troublesome.

Shikamaru deadpanned, that _any_thing was always troublesome but he guessed, in some ways, and on some levels, that things just might not be so troublesome if he learned to look at it differently.

But right now, he didn't really think he wanted to expend so much energy. He was comfortable, finally, and he had two very good comrades beside him enjoying his favorite pastime.

He didn't need thoughts to fill this silence.

.x.

.x.x.x.! X !.x.x.x.

I am sorry I can't give you timeline or dates or ages, but I am not exactly the best Naruto buff and don't want to offend those who are when this should be very close to canon. I figure that we don't get to watch very day of Naruto's life in the manga, so he has downtime away from our prying eyes every once in a while. Just insert this where you see fit. I'm sorry about Ibiki, I am considering rewriting it again, but this just came out instead.

I have writers block for my big baby, and so I have the time (since I SHOULD be studying for my finals…erp) that I usually take for that to update THIS! Lol. I hope you enjoy!

PS; I can't believe that troublesomeness is an actual word O.O.


	10. Asuma Team 10: Akimichi Chouji

You could tell a lot about a person if you watched them eat their food, and Chouji found he liked watching people eat as much as he liked doing the actual eating himself. It only fit that he ate out all the time- and he got to watch other people eat.

But he liked watching Naruto the most.

He and Shikamaru had been sort of acquaintances with him back in the academy days, and Chouji found he had loved spending time with the rambunctious blonde as they argued over the simplest things and stupidest ideas- because that was just Naruto.

There was something in the blonde that craved the mundane even as much as he loved to stir it up.

And boy did he ever stir it up.

But it was there, in his movements and gestures as he ate.

He had never really seen the blonde eat back then- him always disappearing at lunch if he hadn't yet played hooky, and even then they separated paths when they escaped the rigid classroom prison together. They a_lways_ separated paths.

And now their paths had converged.

And he could watch.

Naruto always gulped down his food at rapid speed; as if afraid that someone would steal it away or that the next day he wouldn't get any so he had to eat as much as possible now…and Chouji guessed that some part of that was true.

But as Chouji was used to rapid eating, because he had grown up in his house, he found he could catch the small things that people overlooked because they were too shocked by the bottomless pit he called a friend as they ate in sociable competition.

Naruto _savored_ every slurp and bite and drink.

And Chouji meant savored in the most extreme sense.

Naruto focused with the intense satisfaction Chouji imagined a dying man gave water. He made certain to repeat the exact same actions over and over again.

He delightedly broke apart his chopsticks, grinning unashamed at the old man and his daughter waitress.

He rubbed the wooden utensils together to rid them of splinters, feet kicking at the air below his chair since he was too short to touch the ground from his perch.

He chirped a joyful "Itadakimasu!" before he took the first mouthful of noodles to his lips, precisely sliding the chopsticks down to eliminate the splashing broth that most customers were victim to, and closed his eyes in pleasure.

He always slowly slurped the first bite, as if to make sure that is was as good as it always was- even though he had been coming here since his student days, even though the blonde only always came to this one establishment, and even though he knew that the host prepared the best made ramen in Konoha (Chouji would know, he had eaten elsewhere until Naruto got to him).

Naruto always grinned after that, and then the battle of how fast he could get those stubborn noodles in his mouth commenced. But after every slurp, his cheeks would remain curiously convex, holding the food in his mouth because it was too big to swallow all at once, and then he took little swallows.

Chouji could only think of the hoarding squirrel when Naruto did this, for whatever other reason than fear of food being taken away did animals store excess food in their cheeks to continue eating it safely in smaller intervals when no one could take it away?

He continued in this weird way of his, slurping up more than he could possibly swallow and then swallowing small amounts and then slurping up some more and then swallowing…

He would always tilt the bowl when he was done, making dutifully certain that all the noodles and chunks of meat and maybe those tasty vegetables were accessible to his chopsticks or his lips, and then he would make sure he swallowed every single drop.

And then when the blonde was finished he would lean back slightly, his small shoulders bowing comically and his face a dreamy expression of satisfaction he had only seen on his family when they had consumed a glorious feast. He would contently pat his stomach, and Chouji got the distinct impression that, even though he was comfortably full, he did it more to show his appreciation to the kind shop owner than anything else.

The blonde would sit there after the meal, not rushing off to do some other thing like he often times would or shouting out to get some attention as usual. Instead he leaned happily against the counter, his hands absently fiddling with his used chopsticks and his grin avid and eyes sparkling as he watched the old man behind the counter prepare more food and deliver it with a smile.

A smile that was always sent his way as well.

There would be little moments of humor between the owners and Naruto, where his blonde friend would sneakily use his chopsticks to snatch another piece of cooked meat off the preparation counter…or when the serving woman (the old man's daughter if Chouji guessed from their bone structure) would laugh at the blonde and ruffle his spikes despite vehement objections until he fell off his stool due to his overreactions.

But they would all smile, and treat him some more, little tidbits that were his namesake and stray pieces of affection.

Chouji smiled somewhat sadly as he watched this.

He remembered days at the academy when he was alone and pushed aside because his skills weren't up to par. And he remembered the start of his friendship with Shikamaru. He knew his friend and worked with him, could read him like he knew himself and he knew his father was proud.

Otousan always told him he was a kind heart, and that was what would attract the best friend in the world to him.

But Chouji saddened as he watched the blonde eat.

Because Chouji had been shunned he hadn't been searching for a friend with the other shunned.

In fact he had scarcely noticed the blonde. He half smiled as he watched him repeat his ramen eating ritual. His eyebrows rose as the blonde stopped and grinned jubilantly at him before resuming and finishing his bowl of the Ichiraku ramen.

He watched the blonde smile and hum happily as he played with his chopsticks, listened to the rather catchy trill of notes as Naruto watched the store owner make more ramen with a grin on his aged face.

Akimichi Chouji knew that Naruto didn't have very many he could consider friend, and he was ashamed to admit that he hadn't done anything about it. But Naruto was proving himself to be a great friend now that he was away from the academy and not simply the dead last in everyone's eyes.

Chouji supposed it was easier to befriend the blonde when he wasn't running away from Iruka or the other sensei that were indulgent enough to join Iruka on Naruto chasing escapades. (Chouji grinned at some of the things he remembered Naruto accomplishing even though he was the dead last at the academy.) And Naruto just seemed to put himself out more now that they weren't in the regimented structure of the academy where you were judged on what everyone else could do.

And now Naruto was proving that he was the number one ninja at surprising people, and he could never be measured based on someone else's ideals. Chouji just wondered if Naruto would always eat in such a distinct way with other food, and thought about inviting him to a family barbeque…

That would be interesting…

And he wondered if his family would see Naruto the way he did. With his hoarding habits and almost panicked eating but then his absolute peace with having his belly full and the possibility of more food in front of him.

He supposed it took another eater to see it. And no one really was friends with the blonde before to bother seeing it- who would pay attention to the dobe, the class clown, the idiot orphan who had no family and no prestige?

And it saddened Chouji because the dobe, the class clown, the idiot orphan who had no family or prestige had been paying attention to all of them and hadn't made any friends because they were all pushing him away.

_He was still recovering from his massive chakra loss, the comforting weight of his body still missing and leaving him feeling strangely vulnerable without the arsenal of his family jutsu._

_The new Hokage, Tsunade no godaime, was discussing his training and possible ways for his family jutsu to be altered in case he couldn't gain back his weight to the extent that his family was known for…and it was uncomfortable. Chouji had grown up with his family jutsu, and now that he had to learn more to make sure he could defend himself was mind rending._

_Not to mention he was trying not to think about losing his family jutsu permanently._

_He sighed and looked up in surprise as someone say near him. The blonde hair of Naruto matched his bright grin as he held out an open bag of chips. Chouji felt his shock trickle away into calm acceptance, because Naruto was prone to doing things that were surprising and insightful like that._

_And as they shared the bag of chips he was startled by the quiet companion at his side when the bag was thrust into his hands. Naruto stood up, made a show of brushing off his orange khakis and stretching with a fang bearing grin before he cheerfully exclaimed; "Ne, Chouji, I'm waiting for you to get better so we can spar! So hurry it up will you?"_

_And he was gone._

_And he left a shocked Chouji to look down into the chip bag and smile as he saw only one chip left not even a crumb beside it…the last of the bag._

But now that Chouji was friends with the blonde he was able to watch him eat, and despite all the little signs of previous destitution and starvation there was just something about Naruto eating…it just screamed _content_ment.

When Chouji thought about it…he rather liked the way Naruto ate.

It was just another thing that simply screamed Naruto.

Owari

I am sorry this was a little more au, but it couldn't be helped. But I hope you enjoy it nonetheless. it was a little longer than is my usual for these so, be HAPPY! Lol.

PS; depressed over here. Went and sorted out a favorites list by reviews and saw a person with over three thousand…how does that work? Hint hint; more reviews please? and a  
BIG THANKS TO ALL THOSE WHO DID REVIEW!  
It is very much appreciated

PPSS: Did any one catch 'Team 10'...Chapter ten? Eheheh? Pretty neat eh? lol.


	11. Kuchiyose: Gamakichi

Pop had sent him here to find out if the brat was really worthy of their summoning - and gamakichi, the smallest but smartest of them all, found that the boy was worth so much more.

He had not bothered trailing the boy, as he would be in public and that was where all masks resided, but he had waited and watched the meager apartment where the boy lived. He had been surprised to find that the apartment was rather dreary and dull; having no real evidence that someone like Naruto lived there aside from the ramen cluttered in the kitchen's garbage and a mussed bed in the clean and full yet empty room, Gamakichi liked the plants. _Point for the boy._

There was one picture frame with his team; that dog bonded as the sensei and two other children that didn't look like much but brats, like the blonde, but he supposed they were still just children and had time to grow. Gamatatsu still was rather childish anyhow, not like he could go around judging the humans.

There was a free photograph of some ninja with a scar across his face, smiling and playing around with the brat, and Gamakichi passed that by to gaze around whatwould be Naruto's bedroom.

A poster proudly displaying the affiliated symbol of the leaf (_point for loyalty_), a nightstand with said photos and nothing else, the sparse bedding on the rumpled bed _(point lost for untidiness)_, another poster with some abstract picture he couldn't really decipher (and didn't really want to bother with), and the healthy and green plant resting happily between the large clean window and the bed (another_ point for that_, maybe just because it was well cared for and not just some tasteful decoration).

The wood floors were rather clean, dust only gathering in the corners to tell of constant use. He hopped quietly through the rest of the apartment, finding nothing else of any note (or was it simply that you would call everything else of the same note, he wasn't sure) and was rather disgusted by the scarcity and aura of isolation that clung to the place.

And then the boy had come home.

Gamakichi had watched the preteen pause before he pushed the door open (after taking out a series of keys and undoing a series of locks,_ points for security_ he supposed) and only let his hand settle on the heavy wood as he stood there. His eyes closed and he took a deep breath.

The smile was still on his face, and Gamakichi wondered if the boy ever really let go of his mask, or if it was a mask at all. _Another point_ _to him_; it took a lot of skill to uphold a mask, but one so flawless it was hard for even Summoned to decipher?

The door was opened hesitantly, just a little bit; before the boy got a determined and somewhat angry expression on his face and he threw open the door to reveal the forced visage of joy upon his face- whisker cheeks stretched into something that almost resembled tear tracks to the small toad.

"Tadaima!" He yelled out enthusiastically, punctuated by the energetic slamming of the door.

Gamakichi panicked and looked around frantically; surely he hadn't missed anyone when he had scouted the apartment? But he again found no one, and could only watch with a slight understanding and some pity as the boy walked about his apartment, alone, cleaning up slightly and talking to no one and someone all at once.

The boy passed his hiding place many times, dithering about as his smile softened into genuine mirth at little things stored in his abode. The plant got a particularly proud grin, the ramen a dreamy smile, the poster a salue with a laugh...

The usually acerbic toad didn't make a sound. Instead he smiled in some fond amusement and poofed quietly away to talk to his Pop.

_Forget points, this blonde was in a caste all on his own._

...it had nothing to do with the brat wearing their clans' colors.

And everyone knows that the brightest animal is the most dangerous.

* * *

It hit me, crack fic plot bunny is gone now though.

Yes this is a rather wonky idea, but I think it grew on me. Hope you like it!

Oh yeah, and because I liked it so much I foresee another really minor character POV coming soon! Lol.

PS; Excuse the first post, I rushed it because my mother was kicking me off the computer and I had no time to edit, so I hope this post has fewer mistakes  
But I already got so many reviews scratches headit made me extrememly happy- I just might work on the next minor character. Yes, I am planning to do Neji sooner or later, and the minor character is one nobody will probably guess XP.


	12. Kurenai Team 8: Akamaru

I can't believe someone guessed I was going to use this character.

..x..x..x..xXx..x..x..x..

Akamaru groaned out a wuffling sigh, curling his body around and placing his tail over his paws so that when he breathed out warm air would travel up the fine hair of his tail and heat the exposed pads of his feet that were too sensitive for the cold ground at the moment.

He watched with bored eyes as Kiba argued with the bright child.

He snickered as they grinned and bantered, smirked as friendly fists were thrown in the start of a rather calm sparring session, barked out encouragement when it ended in some sort of draw, hiding his face in his paws when another argument started.

His tail wagged when the blonde distractedly rubbed behind his ears before jumping away and bouncing off a tree to avoid the laughing Kiba with a handful of leaves to stuff down his shirt.

He snorted and turned his head when the gathered rookies laughed and jeered, urging on Kiba or acting disdainful at the silly antics of the two more beast-like of the rookies even though anyone with half the sense ninken had could tell they enjoyed the normal antics amidst missions and wars and tactics and training.

Enthusiastically Naruto displayed exuberance for them, letting them laugh at him and play with him without letting them realize it was being done on purpose (or that Naruto was unintentionally empathic enough to understand they needed this enough that his personality grew to fit the need).

Akamaru sighed with a look reserved for the faces of adults watching indulgent children at play.

He was tired out after playing around with Kiba, and with the usual 'oblivious' timing that Naruto had the playful fight had been instigated just when he was ready to curl up and snore.

Akamaru rather liked the bright one, he always tried to sneak him a treat when the others weren't looking and he knew the exact place to scratch just right. He didn't see why the others had taken such a long time discovering the enjoyable qualities in him- but he supposed the humans were silly like that.

He never did understand how they could label academy cadets as 'dead last' (omega) or 'genius' (alpha) when every animal knew that the only way to judge life skills was to be seen _using_ them, not studying and practicing in theory and trying to judge shinobi children bent on infiltration and skills and death with a system designed for blatant displays of brilliance rewarded with praise.

He snorted, watching large blue eyes turn to him in amusement during a lull in the conversation (argument) and then the grin that spread scarred cheeks and revealed rather interesting fangs. Akamaru grinned in return.

There were playing now, laughing and talking easily. Akamaru rolled over when Kiba sprawled out beside him, and his tail started wagging without his consent because his comrade and the bright one were both paying attention to him while holding some sort of pointless conversation that still managed to mean so much.

Akamaru growled happily, because Naruto was like that.

Hidden and yet blatantly there, and that was simply natural for the sunny blonde.

But Akamaru didn't care.

Naruto was someone who never went back on his word, and that showed how strong he was. Loyal to himself and his decisions…a loyalty that carried over to the entire pack in Konohagakure.

Akamaru wuffled happily and flopped his tired tail down to the ground, rising up a cloud of dust.

One so loyal would show his true determination and optimism and solidarity…and being a ninken himself, the bonded animals known for their loyalty, Akamaru couldn't help but approve of the bright one.

He didn't understand why people thought him to be the Omega, but he was still a pup and unwise in the ways of these strange humans. Naruto had proven himself many times- Akamaru murred out a growl and took in a deep breath.

The animals so overlooked by many - and more so the bonded animals since they understood a greater part of human speech and therefore humans themselves - could smell the power of people. It left a trail that blazed along their senses and mingled with their own chakra to tell of passing and comings.

Naruto had an amazing scent.

If Akamaru wasn't so certain of his loyalty he would have been frightened by the potential that was there hiding underneath Naruto's smooth fur. It was a wonder no one had snatched him up to train him and take credit for what would come to be known as an alpha. Akamaru snorted at the power hungry ideals of some ningens before he rolled his eyes to glance at said power infused boy.

It wasn't even that Naruto had the demon in him - oh, Akamaru could smell _that_ – but the power that was there was conflicting with the evil and constantly growing due to this exercise. It was electrifying- blue and yellow and white and red…Akamaru shivered, certain that he had seen two feral red eyes flash at him from the center of the calamity.

Naruto wasn't even using the fox's power most times when he displayed his creativity and stamina- and Akamru figured the humans would realize that soon- Naruto was just Naruto after all- a loyal one with hair-rising power held at bay by smiles and laughs and loyalty.

As it was, the loyal one gave the best ear scratches, though Akamaru was careful not to tell his pack brother Kiba this- Akamaru was loyal as well, and these types of things needn't be said.

Besides, he was quite content as he was now.

He growled out happily as he nudged his head further under the bright one's hand and murred contently as both ningens laughed and rubbed him down more vigorously.

That felt nice.

.AN.

I realized no one really liked chapters three and two, so I might go back and edit them for greater impact since they got such a small response.


	13. Kurenai Team 8: Hyuuga Hinata

Here by popular demand, but hopefully unexpectedly twisted I introduce my version of Hinata's perspective.

** CMW **

Hinata felt like she'd somehow been betrayed as she watched Naruto; sad and defeated and alone. He was nothing like she had come to see him, and that he would be so not-Naruto at a moment was …dissatisfying, disappointing, almost…disgusting. As if he was as phony as all her family, as if he had tried to make her see something that wasn't there. And he had just made her feel all the more sorry for herself, if she – with the all seeing Hyuuga eyes – couldn't see when someone (especially Naruto) was faking then how could she ever hope to be worthy in her father's eyes?

But then she felt like she'd been hit in the gut. Naruto grinned; even though he was completely alone, even though there was absolutely no reason to, and even though she thought she really didn't care anymore- and he laughed as he dusted himself off and stood up to attempt the taijutsu maneuver again.

She paled as she watched his tenketsu strain and pulse with exertion and that almost malnutrition that always seemed to cling to him. Hinata had always been disturbed that this starvation seemed to give him this dangerous pinched quality, one in which he knew what it was to endure and that nothing would stop him- he just had to prove it again and again. He would do anything as long as he survived.

But Naruto wasn't like that…or at least that is what she thought.

Naruto wouldn't resort to just _anything_, because Naruto was humane and careful despite his loud personality and exaggerated motions…everything was done according to morals that had been instilled into him by someone who was never there and was always honorable.

Of_ course_ it was someone invisible and not there and definitely never seen- but Naruto had to be taught somehow…even Hinata was taught by the callous actions of her family, able to tell that she was doing something wrong with even the most minute tense of a muscle. So even she had be taught, if by minimal human contact. Her morals were set in the ironwork of her clans ideals and probably wouldn't ever change.

But Naruto…Naruto wasn't like that ironwork.

Maybe that was why Hinata so easily doubted now.

Naruto wouldn't steal or kill for petty survival- she had seen him hunt and fish and sleep in the woods. But now she wondered if maybe he did that to avoid people instead of maintain his morals…

Hinata was good at doubting.

She watched people, and she learned. She learned that she could doubt everyone even when they were superior to her- they all had ulterior motives and they all faltered. She had just thought that Naruto was taught by the more upright citizens of Konoha who didn't want to be known to associate with him. Naruto never faltered- he grinned and laughed and endured.

Someone had to have tried to teach him that.

But now she realized no one would even try.

Naruto was alone- every place and every time- and he had learned to feel on his own- he had learned compassion and endurance…and that scared Hinata.

Hinata shuddered and felt her fingers clenching into the bark of the tree she was hiding against, the wood cracking and splintering before a sharp pain entered her hands and she jerked away from the source. She frowned and blushed, wondering if she would always be so absent minded and weak…and stupid.

Angrily she brushed the tears from her eyes but an explosion from the general direction of Naruto had her attention quickly shifting. He yelled a few obscenities out, enough to make Hinata blush for an entirely different reason, before he got back to his feet shakily and tried to slap the feeling back into his damaged leg.

She could see the dulling flare of his chakra in that portion of his leg and placed a hand to her lips to still her gasp- though she was far enough away that Naruto wouldn't hear it anyway. She was forced to watch as her legs went numb with her shock, her eyes tearing for him now and not for her pathetic existence, rooted to the spot as Naruto underwent some form of self inflicted torture in his quest to become strong even though no one bothered to guide him.

Hinata felt uneasy as she shifted, wondering if Naruto had ever known a presence in his life that would comfort him and explain the process of training without damaging oneself and hindering said training. She felt slightly mad that no one seemed to notice how hard he tried, how much effort went into putting a grin on a face that was so weathered,and now she doubted.

And she grew slightly ill as she saw this smile, and wondered if anyone else was looking and noticing.

No one was.

She barely was.

And she watched all the time- she admired and felt proud but still didn't understand…

It wasn't that Naruto was hiding things; it wasn't that Naruto was a fraud; it wasn't that Naruto was trying to trick everyone into seeing something that wasn't there. It was just that no one was noticing- no one wanted to notice.

Hinata firmed her smile and tilted her chin up.

She would notice.

**.c.c.c.c.c.c.c.c.c.c.c .Hinata. c.c.c.c.c.c.c.c.**

**Author's Note**: yes, I am alive. Yes, I think Hinata might have faltered in her belief of Naruto at some point- not because of Naruto but because she actually doubts her own perception.

I hope you enjoyed this! And I have a goal to get this story on 50 communities! Five more to go people!

peace

Oh, and excuse any mistakes, I'll look over this later. I'm rushing to get to class XD


	14. Kurenai Team 8: Aburame Shino

Shino was a very reticent young man, and he liked to think that was okay. He could make himself heard when it was needed.

So as he silently regarded Naruto, the blonde content and smiling as he leaned over his arms and toiled in the plants at the side of the forest. He had no real idea what the short comrade was doing, but he was strongly reminded of an ant, bent over and laboring for the day's quota.

Shino had been raised to look and watch, to appreciate the toils of natural beasts and understand the way life worked- the little things provided the most important lessons.

A spider needed to kill to feed and control the pests that otherwise bothered ningen and other animals and interfered with the food chain.

The butterfly in their web needed to pollinate for next year's crops.

An ant supported the colony with a surprising array of accomplishments, foraging and defense. They could provide sutures for human wounds, drive garden pests away, and in a pinch (which happened a lot in the unpredictability of missions and shinobi life) they could serve as a protein source or bait for other animals.

Shino stared at him and wondered, because Shino was good at that. His clan was renowned for their logic and cool head in battle due to their extreme connection with their partners. For his clan to have the generations old contract with the bugs was to maintain a steady flow of charka- there couldn't be messed up by emotional flares that other humans were prone to. Because of this members of his clan were trained to analyze every situation with logic and pry out facts before making decisions- they were known for their analytical capabilities; tracking, politics, business, tactics…

…Renowned for their understanding of insects and their place in the world and their employment in a fight.

As well as they were known for their reticence.

But Shino was good at saying much without saying very much at all, and at times he had wondered at the capability of the blonde maverick to just go on and on.

-Without saying anything at all.

Naruto shouted and whined and spoke without giving much away- he talked and called for attention without drawing it to anything that was really important. And Shino wondered how it was so.

So he watched and wondered.

But he never asked.

After all, Shino was an Aburame; they were known for reconnaissance and stoniness.

And so he found that it didn't matter that the blonde called for attention to readily- no one else realized how little they learned of him. Naruto worked as hard as he could to achieve his goals, and no one noticed exactly what they were because he was too loud and distracted them from exactly what he was.

Shino stood and watched the blonde, and, when he grinned and opened his mouth to indulge in a diatribe, he stood stoically under the words and smiles- and he watched and listened beyond what the blonde was actually saying.

He saw the exaggerated physical movements meant to make people laugh and overlook him, saw the intimidating gleam in eyes that were usually squinted closed from the force of a blinding grin, and heard the tired hardness of the shunned behind bright lilting notes.

He recalled how easily the blonde called forth bunshin to help him defeat enemies in battle, how he became such a team player on missions and in the defense of the school age children. Shino had watched after all, he knew what the blonde did in combat situations- and what he did in potential combat situations.

He wondered if Naruto watched too. He saw the blonde toiling in the gardens often enough, maybe he observed the way the ants worked together to survive and therefore found it easy to emulate them with his bunshins?

He tilted his head and watched the darkened view from behind heavy glasses, wondering how the maelstrom remained so bright even from behind shaded lenses. Hidden behind his position as a team player with himself Naruto maintained this air of ignorance that spoke of others ignorance of him- his removal from social contact that should have made him much less of the team player he was.

But he was noticeable and then not and …certainly the blonde spoke loudly, and his clothes and hair and eyes and personality…

Shino sighed as he gave up.

Naruto defied whatever logic he'd just tried to use. The Aburame would never understand how one could be screaming for attention and then hiding in his skills the next.

But as he watched the blonde grin – no one was watching – and laugh and let his hands get dirty in the ground – Shino realized he'd been righting a trampled sapling – there was a quality about the whirlwind that caught his attention.

And maybe that was it.

There was something entirely genuine about Naruto despite his blustering ways and tough guy act. When there was no one watching he was still smiling and laughing…he was still Naruto.

And Shino found he liked that part of Naruto- that genuine part that wanted attention and was scared of it so it kept on working anyway.

He found he could respect that.

Even if he tried too hard to get the attention of people when he knew he had an audience, tried so hard but really didn't know what to say and blustered and hollered and somehow he lost himself in his posturing and their attention.

Even if Shino didn't understand how Naruto could say so much and try so hard but speak nothing and accomplish nothing.

Shino knew there was something genuine and attention catching about the blonde- and he would just have to watch him toil to discover just how like the Ant toiling he was- just how he was useful and strong and proud and hardworking.

Shino nodded his head, and he turned to leave.

His sunglasses shielded him from the blinding glare of the sun, and his logic shielded him from the confusing bluster of Naruto's personality; he could stare at both and discover what everyone else looked over.

Even the miniscule things, after all, performed a great purpose in the grand web of things.

* * *

I'M ALIVE! And compeletely done my finals WOOT! 

AN: not quite what I wanted, but I guess it is good enough. Xp I hope you enjoy! I was working on it for a while and knew the direction I wanted to go, but it slipped out so choppily- I wanted to be reticent like Shino. (pouts) That didn't happen, but what can you do? (shrugs)


	15. Mizuki

AN update!!!!! Ahahaha!

* * *

He snarled as he spotted the demon child- watching with stupid confusion as parents came to escort their children away to homes with warming hearths and welcoming arms. He hated having to put up with the blonde, having to smile and help him with assignments he couldn't really do because he was stupid and never had his supplies (Mizuki also liked to ignore the fact that Uzumaki had never been taught properly and that the other children liked to steal his school supplies- it was better that way. He needed some way to vent his frustration in dealing with the kyuubi brat, and recalling how it was so easy to push him around and discipline him for the resulting ineptitude was very satisfying).

This monster had been a stupid and useless demon brat.

Mizuki hadn't seen any other way to put up with him and still maintain his carefully constructed persona of a kind academy instructor; of someone not planning to bail on his village loyalties at the first opportunity for greatness, someone not jealous of his coworker and waiting for the next chance to trip him up, someone not gladly disobeying the heart of many Konohagakure laws.

Mizuki watched the boy persevere, get up and walk again after every time he fell (by accident or someone's own design, the child cared not- he never accused or raised fingers or gave any other telling signs that he knew others were out to ruin him).

This monster maybe was powerful enough to survive.

Mizuki sneered as he watched the boy run a merry chase around Konoha, escaping from the teachers that were after him for another prank. The blonde displayed adeptness for speed and obstacles - for parkour - and showed cunning as he hid quietly and used their expectations and traps to his own advantage.

This monster would be a great tool.

Mizuki gaped as the bunshins- the_ kage_ bunshins – appeared around him. He practically felt their taunts as his bones impacted and cracked, felt the determination and perseverance of the blonde who had sent out with a 'training scroll' so he could wear himself out and present an easier target, felt his despair as he realized all his careful observance and diligent planning hadn't come to fruition. He was defeated.

Now the monster had bested him; had gained acceptance in Konohagakure.

Mizuki closed his swollen eyes, wheezing for breaths and mere feet away from the scroll that would have been his ticket to power and prestige and freedom from the constraints of the village. And the boy was his sensei's hero, the one who had overcome ill tricks and plans to rescue his adored teacher and the illustrious forbidden scroll– the scroll that now damned him; traitor, defector, turncoat…criminal.

Now the monster was him.

* * *

…**..Annoying AN**: Sorry for the wait! Yes, I did fall off the face of the earth, but the landing was quite soft and the only reason it took so bloody long was because, really, the drop was extensive and I had to free climb all the way up! GAH! But this is one of the two shots that I had time to think about finishing during the extensive work out- so expect another shot; Konohamaru: Coming soon to a story near you.

PON: Parkour is awesome and fun. So is Tricking. Don't confuse the two with each other or free climbing, street stunting, and buildering. Look up the amazing things Naruto could do as a traceur (male who practices parkour) - it really looks like something he would be interested in since he couldn't afford fancy equipment or training (that and acrobatics, someone should make him a trapeze artists in a story about a carnival- they have the same stigma as gypsies so Naruto would fit well into that story line ne?).


	16. Sarutobi Konohamaru

Konohamaru was a young boy born to privilege; spoiled and coddled and encouraged while he trained to live up to the expectations they had put upon him as the coming heir to the Sarutobi line.

Gramps didn't know what to think when one day he had been throwing his stuff around carelessly and then the next day he had been coveting it all like it was the most valuable thing in the world.

He sighed, waiting in the hokage tower and overlooking the geometric streets of Konoha in boredom. His boss was on a mission. A grin lit his face up as he thought of what he wanted to give the blonde teen when he returned.

_He had entered Naruto's apartment with the boy, watching him unlock the many locks- despite the fact that Konohamaru could only see two of them plainly. He also was irritated at the time it took from their schedule (not that they were in any rush) and no one else he knew was so careful with their security- Konoha was a very connected town, and neighbors took care to look after neighbors (Konohamaru thought they took it too far at times, to the point of where they were being irritating and nosy - really not being good neighbors at all to the tired ninjas who made sure they were so secure in their beds at night). _

_But Konohamaru kept quiet and followed boss-man into the small apartment, carefully toeing off his sandals and turning them to face the door even as Naruto carefully locked at least three of the safety measures before carelessly setting his shoes to the proper position facing the exit. _

_He turned his usual blinding grin to him, and that little laugh (quiet; like when they were in the midst of setting up a prank and didn't want anyone to notice them) came out before he pointed to the bathroom. "Put the bag down and go wash up, Jii-chan shouldn't see you with such a dirty face."_

_Konohamaru scowled and stuck out his tongue. "You're just as dirty as I am!"_

_Naruto bared his teeth – displaying a set of fangs that had never seemed menacing, only playful and mischievous – as he grinned and squinted his eyes. "That's why I'm washing up at the kitchen sink. So get to it!" _

_Konohamaru yelped at the authority Naruto managed to instill in the last sentence; already set to running the short distance to the bathroom before he realized what oyabun had done. He scowled at the mirror as he stepped up onto the toilet seat to reach the sink, thankful that the bathroom was small enough he was able to do so. _

_At his own house he needed a stool._

_He glanced around in disinterest as he finished drying his hands, scrunching his nose as he wondered how such a cool person like his boss could live in such a boring place- even the towels were plain grey things!_

_He scowled as he inched around the door, finding it impossible to move in the tiny bathroom to enter the sparse hallway._

_He didn't like Nii-san's apartment._

_He shuffled impatiently as he walked to the kitchenette, trying not to look at bare walls with chipping paint. Really, Nii-san should take better care of his place. He sniffled irritably and stomped the rest of his way, finding the happy boss murmuring over two instant ramen cups._

_He lost most of his ire in the sparsely cluttered room, if only because the rising steam and spicy scent created a homier feel that the rest of the apartment lacked. And Naruto grinned up at him._

_Konohamaru smiled shyly, and climbed his way onto one of the old heavy wooden chairs, dragging the hot noodles across the top of the table and unaccountably happy that Naruto wasn't stingy with his favorite food._

_And that oyabun seemed to know how to always make it just right._

_He slurped up his noodles happily with Naruto, enjoying the silent acceptance of two boys simply eating- and having to do nothing else._

_Naruto was like that- he had a single minded focus that Konohamaru could only admire and envy._

_Boss just might beat him for the hokage title, with determination and heart like that._

_They finished quietly, a brotherly affection between them as they tossed their chopsticks into the sink and placed their ramen cups beside it upon the counter._

_He blindly followed boss-man around the small table, trying not to look at his feet because they would mean he'd see the worn carpet under his toes and the fraying edges of Naruto's pant cuffs._

_They came upon Naruto's room and Konohamaru near stumbled as Boss quickly unrolled his futon and set about pushing aside some clutter. _

_Naruto bent over to shove aside some unrolled scrolls and clear off his bed, absently straightening the cover and gesturing for him to sit as he continued talking about the taijutsu he was thinking of altering from some genin named Rock Lee. Konahamaru could only blink and shake his head as he cautiously sat, unused to the abrupt difference the new view of the apartment yielded._

_He felt like he'd just entered a genjutsu, or maybe emerged from one._

_He cautiously moved aside a loose photograph, of Iruka-sensei and Naruto joking around in some part of Konohagakure's streets. He turned to look at boss when the tone of his voice shifted, and he watched the cautious light to blue eyes clear into the normal happy determination that had drawn him in._

_He felt like he'd stumbled on apart of Naruto he shouldn't have._

_Upon entering the trickster's abode it seemed bare, almost painfully neat and empty near the door- but at the bed, everything was almost everywhere. You could look and see all the desperate attempts Naruto had made to make his home comfortable; some crisp posters taped to the wall, his uncovered window, the motivational phrases written to fill empty wall space, and the almost deliberate clutter to fill up the true vacancy of the room._

_So he swallowed and entered the boss' den._

_There were some more photos spread upon the ground, a few kunai near the desk beside a smattering of books and brushes, a box of paint and the sturdier chalk hid in the shadows of one corner, a pair of green goggles sat proudly on a shelf, a stack of worn scrolls near there, an overturned milk crate used to set some framed pictures of his team and some rocks that Konohamaru distinctly remembered from a trip the four of them had taken to the creek._

_The standard houseplants Naruto collected were there, well taken care of like the rest of the apartment wasn't. _

_He nervously settled down upon the rumpled bed, but Naruto spoke and engaged him and made it all better._

_Konohamaru beamed; because he was in the center of Naruto's world. This was the place where he kept all his treasures, where he protected and nurtured and lived. And he'd let a little boy become part of that- Naruto was a vicious bastard when protecting what was his, and Konohamaru blinked back unmanly watery eyes as he realized that boss-man fought for everything he had and took nothing for granted. _

_It was all hidden away in the farthest reaches of his apartment, where he slept and spent most of his time in scrolls and loneliness._

_And Konohamaru was one of his precious people._

_He firmed his lips against a tremble and lifted his chin as Naruto continued to talk about what he thought of the hard working Rock Lee. And he grinned instead because he admired boss, admired the things he considered precious and the careful way he collected them and cared._

_Naruto was slowly gaining, and every piece and person meant so much more than they realized._

Konohamaru swallowed as boss finally entered; his hands behind his head and his eyes squinted as if he was always so relaxed and carefree upon returning from a mission. He lost all his nerve and quickly approached, thrusting his gift into the stunned blonde's hands before rushing from the room.

He grinned as he ran, though, because he knew exactly where his gift was going.

The picture of Konohamaruy Corps was going right into the heart of Naruto's apartment, where he kept all his treasures from damage and prying eyes.

X X X X X X Dragon's Hoard, Kitsune _Collect!!!! _X X X X X X X X X

There we go, the promised Installment of Konohamaru.

I hope you enjoyed it!

Edited: September 22, 2007


	17. Team Gai: Hyuuga Neji

Neji sighed and tilted his head back to look at the stars, smile teasing across his face before he closed his eyes and let out a subdued chuckle.

Naruto had been the one to show him, since the blonde had superior eyes to any in the country of fire. Neji wondered how this could be so, but then - even with his strange and unspoken past – Naruto was probably the most confusing person he knew. How could someone be so open and yet still so mysterious?

He shook his head- firming and straightening under the press of memories. In a way, he was glad that some dead last had the ability to defeat the prodigies- though he half thought Sasuke didn't know it yet- he'd already been defeated.

It was hard for Neji to refrain from falling back on his old habits, and it had been in one of his ruminations that he'd realized it was okay to mention fate and destiny and divination…as long as one actually got it right.

And he'd been so very wrong before.

Just as Sasuke was wrong now.

Neji had thought it had been fate for him to go through so much, to suffer and survive with no one to turn to- so he'd turned to himself, been a rock to himself- he'd survived and endured.

A true ninja.

And then he'd understood beyond his misconceptions. His eyes had lost their film and he could see without a doubt that Naruto was a true ninja, the rest of them had only been playing at it in some macabre game while pushing aside the true example they should follow.

But Naruto lived up to his name- he was a whirlpool that drew you in until you understood there was no way out.

The Uchiha was simply in denial.

And the others would realize soon- they weren't the dullest rocks in the stream after all. No, they were sharpened steel waiting on the frothing banks to attack.

And whirlpools were forces of nature, a combination of wind and water and landscape that made the raging rapids seem tame. They drew you in and shook you and tossed you about until you understood that the whirlpool was life and death. You had to understand it and work with it to survive.

Naruto did that. They hadn't realized…Neji hadn't realized… that Naruto worked so hard to find someone on his side. Naruto was uncontrollable and beautiful, a force of nature that couldn't be stifled. He was working on drawing in precious people, establishing connections he would protect with every motion of his being- treasure them at the very center of his soul.

And even though Naruto had worked so hard to deny Neji's idea of destiny and fate, the Hyuuga couldn't help but believe Naruto had a fate. It just wasn't what everyone else thought it was.

And maybe that was what the blonde had been trying to say.

You couldn't limit yourself to one path, you had to be adaptable and able to understand that you might be wrong- but following your intuition never led you wrong. It actually led you to your true fate.

And Neji had been fighting his tears and his anger- instead detaching himself and deciding that he was fated to be caged and suffer.

No.

Neji, branch member of the Hyuuga Clan, was Fated to change.

And Naruto was fated to change them all, to pull them in to his grand ideas and dreams while encouraging them to take hold of their Destiny, to accept their circumstance and strive to overcome it.

Because then, Fate wasn't a restrictive force that held you down and watched you suffer, it was a guiding force that was directed by the conduct of your Soul. Fate wouldn't know where to take you if you didn't understand that your ultimate destiny was molded in your own hands.

Neji had needed to learn that.

Naruto had taught Neji that.

So the Hyuuga was going to stick with the blonde and help him- because, despite Naruto's firm belief in his destiny and his own creation, he sometimes got so caught up and dizzy with being a whirlpool it seemed he didn't understand that he had people protecting him.

Neji sighed and thunked his head against the tree trunk behind him, carefully shifting on his branch as he looked to the leaves on the tree he had seated himself in.

The sheltering branches calmed him on some basic level, and he wondered if he would have noticed this before when he was too busy counting the birds that flew free. He swallowed and looked down at his hands, carefully feeling the hitaiate in his palms.

It was funny that Konohagakure used the symbol of a leaf caught in a whirlpool for their village. It was just how he felt.

Those of the leaf with the will of fire…caught in the swirling, powerful whirlpool that was Uzumaki Naruto's being. The wind had chased them to his reaching waves, and he had drawn them in to fight until they understood he was the answer.

Naruto seemed to be their Fate.

Neji inhaled and then carefully blew out his breath, blinking his cleared eyes as he nodded to himself.

Titles and stereotypes and names were things to be overcome; Branch member, clan name, dobe, prodigy…_monster_. Neji closed his eyes against the press of a memorized angry shout at the blonde.

Naruto had his destiny swirling in his hands; he tenaciously held onto it and tried to make everyone understand. He wouldn't be moved or falter- he was constant and insistent.

They would all understand and be brought closer to him.

Nejio chuckled as he stood. It seemed that Naruto hadn't quite gotten rid of his ideals of fate and destiny; he had just made Neji understand them better.

* * *

Annoying Author's Note!!!!!!:

**Celebrating being in 100 Communities!**

Woot! XD Neji had to come out, I'm almost done half my finals! Go me! To celebrate, I pick freedom! Though I am fated for three more tests...agh. Yes this means the paper pushing monsters haven't eaten me, instead they've taken in my essays and happily congratulated me on finishing their courses. pouts. So until my finals are over- I miss you all and hope you enjoyed Neji's perspective!

PS: Sorry for errors X[ . I know my grammar isn't up to par but we'll see what I can do about it.


	18. Tenzou Yamato

…

Yamato found it hard to work his way into team seven after they'd been part of such grand adventures. He figured it would have been easier with team ten, or any of the other rookies who hadn't had such identity-building experiences to go through.

Yet, the only free-response team undertaken (and even then to cater to the Uchiha) found itself first without a teammate and then temporarily without a sensei.

Yamato had to worm his way into an authority position without offending either ninja, both apprenticed to Sannin and completely capable of teaming against him to undermine his position. And there was Sai who was suspect and maybe even passing along information. It was precarious.

But it was also made easier by Sai's presence. With the socially awkward and suspicious young boy in place (a ninja who looked so much like Sasuke from the roster fact sheets it was almost like a sickening joke played on the remainder of the team by the council) Yamato wasn't the initial target for their misgivings. This gave him time to get in their good graces without such tension between him and them creating professional problems.

Yamato still hadn't expected to get so attached.

Certainly he'd read their rosters and predicted change, been suspicious over Sai and the council's motivations; but he still hadn't paid attention to those little side notes Kakashi had, he thought jokingly, added (it would have been just like his captain to add things like that).

Naruto was apparently the number one surprising ninja, and Sakura had monster strength and frightening bipolar tendencies.

Seriously, he had thought, they were only genin. They couldn't have such distinct reputations yet.

He had merely predicted change based on the fact that it was unheard of for free-response teams to incur so many changes in such short a time--they were built on an understanding of the teammates, a knowledge and capability to predict your partner. Instead team seven had Sasuke the traitor—Yamato the strange anbu turned sensei—and then Sai the questionable ROOT operative filling in.

Gods what a mess.

It was so strange for Naruto to experience Sai—a boy who claimed not to hate him, but to feel nothing towards him at all. He'd never had that before, had he? His first reaction to Sai's fake smiles and awkward jokes was to assume he was just like every other person who had to be in his presence but was never truly happy being there.

Sai must hate him—why else those fake smiles and those dead eyes?

Yamato had predicted change, but he hadn't predicted a change in himself.

But Naruto was like that. He was so determined and strong that you were drawn into those eyes that saw the best in you.

Tenzou—Yamato had changed because he had looked close enough to see something in the blond and empathize him. While he'd been carefully developing his authority and position in the team he'd had the time to study the boy. And Naruto was frighteningly similar to him--they both carried this strange power that wasn't theirs but seemed to dominate who they were. And as Yamato watched the boy, amused and exhileratingly expectant, he found the boy was _not_ like him as well.

Naruto was demonized. Yamato had been enhanced.

He guessed Naruto was just one extreme on a team of them. But as much as Sasuke was a genius and Sakura was brilliant Naruto was something else entirely.

Something more.

While the blond genin could understand his enemies and use those eyes of his to reach out—it seemed that he refused to acknowledge his own power and drive beyond his goals, to see exactly what he was.

It didn't help that everything Naruto was became defined by the presence of the Kyuubi.

Iruka knew Naruto repressed the kyuubi's power but their mutual awareness defined the beginning of their relationship. Naruto's teammates were ignorant and therefore safe, but still abrasive to him as they were raised to be or expecting him to fail as his monstrous chakra demanded in delicate work. The civilians were ignorant and unfriendly and the shinobi confused and conflicted. Even Jiraiya had trained him to use the Kyuubi's power instead of his own vast amounts of blue chakra—as if his power was inconsequential compared to the important fox's might.

No matter what Naruto was he was still defined by his burden—a power that was not his own.

Yamato could see this hurt Naruto even when he wasn't using Kyuubi's power. That was why he had talked to him, tried to get him to see himself through eyes cleared of the Kyuubi.

Naruto was powerful, and it wasn't the Kyuubi that made him so. It was his eyes and how completely opposite he was to everything that made the Kyuubi. Naruto turned enemies into allies, made people understand themselves, fought for beliefs and morals rather than greed and lust.

Yamato sighed as he observed Sai try to smile genuinely. Naruto snickered and slapped him on the arm—a strange brotherhood birthed between the two because Naruto was himself and Sai had been changed like the rest of those who had met the blond whirlpool before.

Yes, Kyuubi's power was nothing compared to the force that was Naruto. And the boy would soon discover that he didn't need to be defined by something that really had no significance.

Even with a fractured team he'd made something of the mission. Sai was more of a person now than he'd probably ever been in ROOT, and Yamato found his usual calm affability turned into an affection for the team that hadn't endured ANBU training with him.

Change indeed.

Yamato just might have a bit more amusement in the coming years, if Naruto's power was coming to the fore like this.

The man grinned and laughed; laughed harder when the random burst made his young team give him startled looks.

This would be fun.

…

Yes yes I was gone a long time on this account. Sorry. I work and I go to school—and ninjas tried to kidnap me to join the interrogation squad. XD Also, login just crapped out on me for the past week. So there.

Thank you for reviews…I had a long rant about inspiration and dumb reviews demanding updates but I'll cut it short. I do like reviews but please say something other than "This is good, update!" or "Are you ever going to update?" I'm sorry if I find this abrupt and rude. It makes me not want to update just to spite you—but I'm not that mean.

That said; I have no responsibility to continue this, as it is a series of complete _one _shots. Please play nice.


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